Fire department starts defibrillator program

The Glenwood Springs Fire Department has been proactively working to make the community safer, placing automated external defibrillators (AEDs) in key locations throughout the city and district. The fire department has cost-shared the price of AEDs with businesses and governmental establishments/agencies throughout the community. Placement of these devices is critical for the chain of survival during the event of sudden cardiac arrest. In the United States, more than 250,000 Americans suffer from sudden cardiac arrest each year. Failure to restore a normal heart rhythm within 4-6 minutes can result in irreversible brain damage. Studies have shown that after 10 minutes, the survival rate may only be 2 percent. While taking a proactive approach to better patients’ odds of survival during sudden cardiac arrest, the fire department has had overwhelming support from the community. The current placement of AEDs within the Glenwood Springs community includes: Glenwood Springs Golf Course, Garfield County Courthouse, Garfield County Public Health, Glenwood Springs Community Center (2), Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park, Garfield County All Hazards Response Vehicle, Colorado Department of Transportation-Hanging Lake Tunnel, Glenwood Springs City Hall, and soon at Glenwood Springs High School. The fire department provides all initial training for this program, and annual maintenance of the AED itself.