Emergency Care Update - Matt Simpson

The comments made during the Town Meeting of 5-19-11 were in refernce to the DH Chief of Police Joel Tyner's need for effectively opperating AEDs.

Somewhat incorrect information posted on AEDS... The fire department has 3 additional AEDS in Diamondhead that are used by the first responders.  One is in the (Fire) Chiefs truck, truck 1, the second is in the Deputy Chiefs Jeep, Truck2 and the third is in engine 6 at the Diamondhead station.  A fourth is at Station 4 next to hooks one stop, in engine 7. We have several more deployed strategically throughout the fire district. 

While AEDs are a wonderful tool, and certainly a life saver, they are just tools as CPR is a tool that must be used quickly following a cardiac arrest to be of any value.  Many times the AED will not shock the patient and only advise continued use of CPR.  You must have a shock able rhythm for the device to know to shock.  It is unfortunate that many times our first responders and ambulance services get fingers pointed at them for not doing enough when,,simply put, there was nothing else that could be done. We hear this said on nearly every cardiac call when the AEDs don’t deliver a shock.

The most important thing to do for a victim, of any kind of accident, is to dial 911 immediately.  Don’t call the front gate first as they will have to make the 911 call anyway.   Please call 911 for any fire or medical emergency first.  Patients have the GOLDEN HOUR - this means that victims of accidents or medical conditions have the best chance for survival when they receive definitive care from a medical provider within the first hour following their event.  We need to do everything possible to get folks to the Emergency Department of a hospital within that first 60 minutes. 

Thanks, Matt Simpson