GC Patrol Cars All Receive AED Units From POA

courtesy Republican News


Oct. 23, 2008

Thanks to the Property Owners Association of Deep Creek Lake, all Garrett County sheriff's deputy patrol vehicles are now equipped with automatic electronic defibrillators (AED). The POA made a donation of $20,000 in memory of Judge Fred A. Thayer, who died in the spring of 2007 as the result of a heart attack.
The announcement of the donation was originally made last November, but because of government paperwork changes at the time, the AED units were months from becoming a reality. They have now been distributed throughout the county to all patrol vehicles, with all deputies trained to use them. The idea behind the donation is that deputies can now offer to a victim a greater chance of surviving cardiac arrest.

Reportedly only about 5 percent of people who suffer cardiac arrest survive, with victims of every age, including infants and the elderly. If victims receive CPR and AED shock within 3 minutes of collapse, the survival rate can increase up to 74 percent.

Sudden cardiac arrest is usually caused by an electrical malfunction that makes the heart quiver in a deadly rhythm called ventricular fibrillation. A lifesaving pulse of electricity is the single most effective way to restore the heart's normal rhythm, noted a spokesperson. This donation has made it possible for deputies to respond to a cardiac arrest and be equipped to handle it in the most beneficial manner possible for the survival of the victim. They can offer assistance before emergency medical crews may be able to arrive.

It has been agreed among the Garrett County commissioners that the maintenance expense associated with the AED units will be funded by the commissioners. The hope is that additional AED units will be obtained to complete the sheriff's office fleet. There will be training and retraining headed and coordinated by Dep. John Frank.

Judge Fred Thayer was a past president of the Property Owners Association and was conducting POA business the day he died. The rural vastness of Garrett County was a contributing factor in his death, said the spokesperson, as he did not receive aid timely enough to effect a life-saving outcome. The POA decided then to improve the survival chance for others in a similar situation. The project was headed by Scott Johnson, president of POA, and Lou Battistella, secretary of POA.


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