Higher survival rates possible with AED

Firefighters and paramedics are American heroes for their dramatic actions in emergencies. But many of them are quietly engaged in a life-saving effort that depends on advance planning to save lives — with high tech devices which, with a little training, can be operated by anyone.

The devices are automatic external defibrillators (AEDs), which deliver electrical shocks to cardiac arrest victims to restore normal heart rhythms and prevent death. A number of communities around the country have achieved dramatically higher survival rates by placing the devices throughout the area and training large numbers of people to begin treatment before paramedics arrive. Up to 70 or 80 percent survival chances have been reported in some places, as opposed to roughly 5 percent when only CPR is available.

In Snohomish County, a good base has been laid for dramatic improvements over time. In 1999, for instance, the sheriff’s department became the first in the state to put the devices in patrol cars when a grant was used to equip five vehicles. Two years ago, Edmonds officers on bicycle patrol saved a 59-year-old man, one of an unknown number of saves around the area.

The Everett Fire Department, city officials and school leaders have begun to speak about the prospects for saving more lives locally with long-term intensification of their efforts. The efforts have received extensive support from the Everett Medic One Foundation.

Already, some 150 defibrillators have been placed around the greater Everett area, including at golf courses, senior centers, a variety of public buildings, some major work places and on virtually every piece of fire department equipment. Two Everett high schools have the devices on campus and other schools are interested. Some Everett High School students have been trained along with faculty.

Everett Fire Chief Murray Gordon says the eventual goal is to have defibrillators become as common place as fire extinguishers in buildings. As Deputy Chief Jack Robinson observes, the defibrillators can actually be easier to operate than fire extinguishers.

Equipping buildings and training people to use defibrillators requires long-term commitment. It’s a worthy goal for Everett and other communities, because of the lives that will be saved. But it will take a lot of quietly heroic work.

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Opinion

toon
Editorial cartoons for Wednesday, Feb. 19

A sketchy look at the news of the day.… Continue reading

FILE - In this Friday, Oct. 4, 2019, file photo, a man using an electronic cigarette exhales in Mayfield Heights, Ohio. On Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2019, the American Medical Association said it is calling for an immediate ban on all electronic cigarette and vaping devices. (AP Photo/Tony Dejak, File)
Editorial: Shut down flavored tobacco’s gateway to youths

Legislation in Olympia would bar the use of flavors and menthol in vape products and cigarettes.

Glad to see right-of-center opinion in Herald

I’ve been a subscriber to the Daily Herald for nearly 20 years.… Continue reading

Which great years are we returning to, President Trump?

A couple of things that I would like to see answered by… Continue reading

Congressional Republicans should stand for beliefs

Dear Republicans, I understand your conundrum. I know you feel you must… Continue reading

Comment: Musk’s shoddy aim at USAID hit U.S. farmers, too

The agency paid farmers $2 billion for crops to feed a hungry world and to support a vital industry.

Gesen: A New York lesson on our choices as collective hostages

Seven U.S. attorneys general stepped down rather than go against their morals. How will we react?

toon
Editorial cartoons for Tuesday, Feb. 18

A sketchy look at the news of the day.… Continue reading

Herald report of Everett protest inaccurate, biased

I was at the rally and protest in Everett last on Feb.… Continue reading

Media shouldn’t use ‘she’ for trans people

About 79 percent of Americans oppose those observed male at birth from… Continue reading

USAID freeze halts vital aid work

I am outraged the Trump administration is making the U.S. weaker in… Continue reading

Goldberg: Trump declares war on higher ed, not just woke parts

The move, aided by Elon Musk, to gut NIH funding, is part of a larger and debilitating attack on academia.

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.