Rutherford County emergency responders will provide quicker treatment for heart attack victims, thanks to a Christy-Houston Foundation grant and the county government.
The Christy-Houston Foundation and Rutherford County government each funded half of the $302,288 cost to buy 147 automatic external defibrillators.
AEDs will be placed in Rutherford County Sheriff’s vehicles, Rutherford County Fire-Rescue fire engines and trucks and Rutherford County Emergency Management Agency response vehicles.
Sheriff Mike Fitzhugh said deputies can use the AEDs to start immediate treatment for heart attack victims until Emergency Medical Services paramedics take over treatment.
“Since deputies are always actively patrolling throughout the county, the likelihood of a deputy’s quicker response to a person suffering from a serious cardiac event could be considerably higher,” Fitzhugh said.
EMS Director Brian Gaither said studies show the likelihood of restarting the heart decreases by about 10 percent every minute after a person suffers a sudden cardiac arrest.
“If the deputy gets there first, it helps when they start equipment to save lives,” Gaither said.
Access to AEDs as soon as possible is crucial to increase survival rates. Studies show as many as 40,000 victims are saved yearly from the use of AEDs.
Mayor Joe Carr said this project will ensure that every emergency response vehicle in Rutherford County is equipped with an AED, maximizing the chances of survival for people suffering from cardiac arrest.
“Rutherford County’s public safety goal is to assist in maintaining the quality of life our community desires and deserves,” Carr said.
Carr, Fitzhugh, Fire Chief Larry Farley, Public Safety Director Chris Clark and Gaither thank the Christy-Houston Foundation for the grant award and their continued support of Rutherford County residents.
Lora Rodgers of the Rutherford County Emergency Management Agency displays an automatic external defibrillator used to treat heart attack patients in an emergency situation. The AEDs were purchased by a donation from the Christy-Houston Foundation and Rutherford County government.
