| Public Access Defibrillator is intended to provide the best possible support from sudden cardiac arrest |
The rescue was part of the Lingohocken Fire Company's paramedic assistance program, designed to respond to emergency cardiac arrest calls in the 26 square miles in and around Wycombe. The Lingohocken Fire Company has been responsible for various fire safety work.
While helping to save the life of a sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) victim is all part of the job for Lingohocken Fire Company Chief Greg Jakubowski of Wycombe, Penn., he will be more than happy to accept a free Public Access Defibrillator (PAD/AED) from Chambersburg-based Your Safety Company and HeartSine Technologies, Inc. on Tuesday, October 5. The companies opted to donate the HeartSine samaritan PAD after Chief Jakubowski successfully deployed a PAD to save a Jamison man at the Fox Heath Farm in Furlong, Buckingham Township, last month.
Chief Jakubowski credits the favorable outcome at Fox Heath Farm to the CPR efforts of the bystanders on the scene, the rapid access to the PAD, and the advanced life support provided by the paramedics.
Proximity always helps. The rescue was part of the Lingohocken Fire Company's paramedic assistance program, designed to respond to emergency cardiac arrest calls in the 26 square miles in and around Wycombe. The program was established in December 2008, and this is its first successful deployment. "As a volunteer fire company, we have people out in the community every day in different locations and can at times respond quickly to a call for help from people in cardiac arrest. Having access to a defibrillator can save minutes in response time. That can make the difference in saving a life. That was true in this particular incidence at Fox Heath Farm," Jakubowski said. "I've used an AED twice on emergency scenes to successfully resuscitate victims of SCA. They are amazing life saving devices that can take a potentially tragic situation and turn it into a wonderful ending," he said.
Lingohocken Fire Company has worked hard in providing best possible results in life saving works |
Your Safety Company Sales Manager Lynn Sechrist said, "As a distributor of first aid, safety and emergency supplies for over 30 years, Your Safety Company is pleased to donate the HeartSine samaritan defibrillator to the Lingohocken Fire Company. We applaud and support the efforts of anyone who works to make our businesses and communities safer. We anticipate this unit will be made available as a Public Access Defibrillator and that, if ever needed, it will be a useful tool in helping to rescue victims of SCA."
According to Chief Jakubowski, the HeartSine samaritan PAD will be used to equip the sole remaining truck in the Lingohocken Fire Company's fleet that did not have a PAD. While it will be used by trained professionals, he noted, "Quite frankly, even in a stressful situation, this defibrillator is simple to use and extremely effective. There is some training associated with AEDs; even when you are in a high stress emergency, the HeartSine unit is easy to use and apply. And they get results."
This type of positive result is the reason that HeartSine and its distributors make it a point to get their PADs in the hands of the people who can do the most good, according to HeartSine Senior Vice President Marc Lawrence. "Sudden Cardiac Arrest remains the leading cause of death in the United States, exceeding an alarming 425,000 deaths per year, so we want to champion the efforts of Chief Jakubowski and other life savers just like him. We're proud to join forces with him and the Lingohocken Fire Company in this life saving effort."