Supervisors accept donation for automated external defibrillators

SAN DIEGO – The San Diego County board of supervisors approved the acceptance of a $44,500 donation from the San Diego Regional Fire Foundation (SDRFF) June 20 for the purchase of automated external defibrillators. The donation was first announced at the SDRFF’s Emergency Preparedness and Fire Safety Summit May 19.

“Over the last decade, this board has invested hundreds of millions of dollars in our fire prevention and emergency response systems, placing the county’s response to fire and medical emergencies among the top 10 percent nationally,” County Supervisor Ron Roberts said. “Through the ongoing support from partners like the San Diego Regional Fire Foundation and by leveraging the latest advances in technology, I am committed to making sure our county is doing everything possible to maximize opportunities to save lives when a crisis strikes.”

This action builds on the longstanding partnership between the foundation and the county. Previous donations from the SDRFF included funding for automatic vehicle locators for rural engines, phases of an airborne video camera system and expansion of the county’s communications systems for both public safety operations and public awareness. The chance of saving a victim of cardiac arrest doubles when AEDs are available nearby.

“The San Diego Regional Fire Foundation is pleased to partner with the San Diego County Fire Authority and CAL Fire to place 25 automatic external defibrillators in our county’s rural communities to help insure that an AED is close to any resident or visitor in our back county who suffers a heart attack,” Joan Jones, executive director of the San Diego Regional Fire Foundation, said. “These communities lack public buildings and other facilities where AEDs are frequently located, so it is critical that all fire stations are equipped with state-of-the-art AEDs for quick and effective medical care.”

San Diego County is a national leader in promoting the use of AEDs and hands-only CPR. In a partnership first brought to regional public safety officials by Roberts, the county has helped upgrade dispatch equipment and encourage the roll-out of two smartphone apps from PulsePoint.

One app uses location-based technology to alert registered users when they are nearby a victim of sudden cardiac arrest. The second app allows anyone in the community to submit an AED, including the exact location, description and photo of the device, for inclusion in the public database.

More information is available at http://www.pulsepoint.org/tag/san-diego.