AED Collection Guilt
 

There has been recent discussions about Villages AED programs; pros and cons, why some choose to give and reasons some don't.

However, on a Village FB post today this "chart of guilt" was posted for the neighborhood to gossip about. WOW. Unbelievable that specific streets and percentages are posted. It's not (or shouldn't be) everyone's business. Way to go - very unprofessional and great for neighborhood comraderie.

It appears Zone 6 may have slower than expected response times! ;)

Not on FB but would think if gossip was the concern, why feed into it and blast your frustration on a medium (TOTV) with 100K subscribers? Don’t let that bad guys win!

That certainly would have an impact on my willingness to donate.

Seeing something like those figures being bandied about, I would refuse to contribute on principal.
Shame posting is the bane of social media.

So you’re shaming the shamers? :1rotfl:

I say this chart backfires. Reading the data it reveals much less than 50% of the entire village of St Johns is not willing to donate. Thus I would not feel shamed about not donating. Besides how would a neighbor know if I have a DNR ?

I just think it’s funny...neighbors walking out the door looking at each other like “I wonder if she did....bet he didn’t...”. The more I look at the chart the more I think the point of it is the overall popularity and acceptance of the program. Like previous poster stated, it’s close to 50%. Plus it’s only by neighborhoods and streets within....no names. Sounds like the organizers are just taking a victory lap that they got to that threshold. Of course on this forum, I’m not surprised by the victim mentality....TOTV paranoia!

It was done in our neighborhood in a much nicer way and we reached our goal

Curse of the day?
Cowards behind keyboards creating chaos with no validation or verification that is then taken as gospel by way too many sheeple!

I would think most neighborhoods have no more than a 50% participation rate... (no facts to back up that opinion...)

And I'm sure everyone walks around, all day, thinking "I wonder if those people paid?"

https://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m...m8qco1_400.gif

There are cities and towns in New England where some reside on private ways. They pay same taxes etc....yet if they need their street resurfaced, they need a majority of the neighbors to sign a petition as well as pay the equal amount for the cost of the work. It’s not mandatory, just the majority. That creates animosity and division in a neighborhood. This is tame in comparison

In that case, the info is public, so I can see that happening...

I've not heard of any neighborhood publishing a list of names for the AED programs...

Our neighborhood has a yearly dance to support the program.

We've not been in TV when they have the dance. But at an earlier monthly event, they were selling tickets to the dance. At check in for the event, I was asked if I wanted to buy tickets. I asked "How much?" I think it was $20 per person. I gave them a $50. They were about to give me change and I told them we wouldn't be there, to just use the money for the program.

They were a bit surprised, but thanked me and told me they hoped we could make the next one...

I think it's an important program. I hope I never need it, but I do plan to become a volunteer when I become a Frog, as I've been certified on both CPR and AED forever...

Wait...I thought I read the chart, it was streets only , right? They released names?

No, no, no.. I was replying to the "Petition" you mention...

You must actually sign your name, so that info is public...

I think trying to “shame” people into doing anything is pretty low. I wouldn’t do that to our lovely street. It would definitely divide our community. Even those who planned to give, wouldn’t.

Got it!

Remind me to buy a dozen boxes of Girl Scout cookies next time they pass thru! ;)

In a community with a 6 minute response time by full time paramedics a neighborhood CPR training initiative would be much more beneficial than AED implementation. By the time a neighbor runs to retrieve the AED the paramedics are there. That time was better spent administering CPR.

Our village sent out an email suggesting what dollar amount was being requested per residence . There was a drop off box where a check could be placed. All was private. No one knew what percent actually participated or for that matter a need to know. We have the program and maintenance funds are solicited the same way.

Personally I think going door to door asking is intimidating.

The average rate of donation for the AED program is 70%;

That is a classy way to do it.

My door was knocked at 2x for this. Nice ladies. Although it sounds like a good idea I just don't want to throw out $100... especially after paying the latest property tax bill. Yeesh! There is some guilt, yes... but 44% means I'm not the only one. Sorry ladies I just can't. Not everyone in the villages is rich. :shrug:

We have an AED program in our neighborhood. A huge part of the program is having neighbors trained as responders. That training is centered on CPR, but also includes AED usage. If 6 minutes is an average, then obviously there are response times greater than that. We have had several call-outs for actual cardiac events since our program was initiated, and never once have the paramedics gotten to the scene before the neighborhood responders. I am very thankful to live in a Village with neighbors who care about each other.

While that may be statistically true (it is a figure touted by VPSD), it is really not meaningful. There are many "AED Neighborhood Groups" that are comprised of a single street, or an otherwise small number of homes. In some of those tiny groups, the participation rate is at or near 100%. If you are talking about implementing a program within an entire Village, participation rates that high are unrealistic. The AED program in our Village attained a donation rate just over 50%, which we felt was excellent. We reached the monetary goal, and fully implemented the program.

Your not gonna sway many on here. This topic has been out there for weeks. Obviously the ones that paid attention and did due diligence reading the threads...agree that it’s CPR first and foremost. Training and certification is usually for both.....so one would know that. I know of no one that has just AED certs. I haven’t called out one single poster about contributing or not to this program....only of it’s importance in TV and it’s supplemental value to uniformed first responders. Btw, not once in these threads existence has anybody asked a member of public safety (ie; police, FF or EMT) if they value the assist that these groups provide on occasion. I already know that answer. So once again, whether you contribute, don’t contribute or are neutral on this one....either way, someone....paid or unpaid, has you and your family’s back.

Who is qualified?
 

Summary of Requirements
No legislation is currently in place for Florida. Anyone that obtains an Automated External Defibrillator (AED) is required to complete a course in cardiopulmonary resuscitation, successfully complete basic first aid training, and demonstrate proficient use of an AED.

Ok so do we have people qualified? What if we do and they are out for dinner at sumter landing or up north. Then what?
Does somebody have to be on call 24 hours?

Who cares what others do??? If you want to give…give. If not…don’t. Why would it divide the street?? Would you stop talking to someone who didn’t donate?? If you do and others do well, That’s the problem.

I know of two AEDs on my block, but I consider them irrelevant. I live alone. My door is locked. I don’t know who in the neighborhood knows how to use these. They may be shopping or golfing or taking a shower when I need them. If my heart stops, I can’t even call 911. If I thought I was having a heart attack and called 911, could I get the door unlocked or would it have to be broken down? Certainly most people having a heart attack do not need defibrillating. Defibrillating someone whose heart is actually beating is not a good idea, and when you are an old person who has just run a block carrying an AED, you may not be in a position to tell if there is a pulse. It’s not always easy! And then if my heart is restarted, how long did it not beat? The majority of people whose hearts are restarted suffer some level of brain damage. Do I want that, or would I rather be dead? Success with defibrillators is often based on leaving the hospital alive or surviving thirty days, even if the person will never leave a nursing home. I’d rather die.

Our neighborhood is blessed. We have 30 something members of the team. Of course all of them won’t be near by when the response text comes, but hopefully enough. We have 3 devices posted in different parts of the neighborhood. If you are close to one, you get it. Everyone else responds to the location. Including those trained in CPR. Some folks will do crowd control and keep the street open for first responders, some help control pets, one will work with family members to grab the medical records and meds. Some move furniture to make room for gurney. But most importantly, are those working the unresponsive person with the AED and CPR. So, the CPR does happen in our area, but the AED is a tool that we wouldn’t have without our program. When I arrrived in TV last summer, our welcome wagon folks came by and among the gifts they brought was information on the program, the medical emergency forms kept on the fridge and a form explaining the program and requesting a donation. From that point, they continue with fundraisers vs direct donations. My personal favorite is a night golf scramble. I’ve participated twice since we arrived. Lots of fun and no pressure. Great volunteers give their time to keep it all organized. In a community with our average age (not that you need to be old to need it) we are indeed blessed..

What we need is an audit of how much money has been spent on these AED programs, and how many times have the units been used. To me, it doesn't make sense to just throw money at something without any data to justify it.

They posted the facts. Some simply choose to see them as such. Others choose to put a negative twist on it. Some choose to think without judgement that people have there reasons for donating or not. And some use it as an incentive to donate. And I’m sure there are other interpretations that don’t involve a shaming mindset.

I don’t think that “standing on principle” would be a valid excuse for not laying out the mere price of dinner on an annual basis to fund AED for a neighborhood. I’m sure nobody will be checking a donor list come time to pull out the AED in an emergency. If someone has a legitimate economic reason not to contribute their share then obviously a token donation would suffice. This is a self serving cause that it does not pay to be cheap supporting

Have they asked for permission from the people involved “to post the facts”? If they have and the majority agreed, I’m for it. Otherwise, I see it as invasion of privacy. It is not that I haven’t paid for AEDs myself or that I don’t support the efforts of people who volunteer, I fully appreciate that. What I don’t like is the lack of sensitivity about trying to raise funds. It is natural to turn on someone who is trying to push you.

You….are a CLASS act!! Good for you and your attitude. We should be neighbors helping neighbors and the AED program is a perfect example of this in action.

Nothing wrong with that. Shame on those that don’t want to contribute anything, however

Sometimes people just need a gentle reminder we are all busy. I did get a reminder and I paid it right away. I just got busy maybe a second letter needs to be sent out.

I was a volunteer in our neighborhood's initial AED program. Here's how it works, as I remember: there are a group of people who volunteer for the program. They are given CPR and AED training and a box is installed in a central location in the neighborhood. When a resident calls 911, an automatic call goes out to the resident group of volunteers. One person is assigned to go to the AED box while the others go directly to the patient and check to see if CPR is needed. If so, they begin the process. There is not just one person who is called to respond, so if someone isn't available, others are there to respond. It has been shown that neighborhoods with this program have a higher survival rate for heart attacks than those without one. (If you're going to have a heart attack, it would be to your benefit to have it in The Villages. That's according to a yearlong study done by The Villages Daily Sun, in which they found that The Villages residents are four times more likely than other Americans to survive a cardiac event. This is due to a number of factors including the amount of AED's available throughout the community, the proximity of fire department to resident's homes, and more. – The Villages Daily Sun)

When I was asked to donate I didn’t hesitate for one minute. My thoughts were if it saves one life then it is money well spent. In our group no pressure was put on anyone. I’m very happy that we have those that want to participate in this program. I also understand that not everyone can afford to participate. I’ve not seen or heard of ill will towards those folks.

Shame? Assumption, it was not known who or how much was contributed.

The medical world says for having a likely survival, the accepted maximum time delay before beginning CPR is 4 minutes. Beyond that, the chances go from low, to extremely rare plus having serious long term injury.
The numbers I have seen shows it is at least 6 minutes, and usually longer.

So having a community of people trained in CPR, all heading your way to fill the gap in time before the paramedics arrive, is going to make outcomes better. No question.
Having an AED also aids in monitoring the CPR process and issues voice directions to improve technique (rate and compression). It can also administer a shock if needed.

Now the paramedics arrive. I would welcome the paramedics to concentrate on doing advanced life support - administering drugs, oxygen, assessing for other treatments they can provide... instead of doing CPR themselves. Performing CPR is very tiring. Having many to share the work is the best way.

The overall goal is to increase the odds of survival, with the lowest amount of complications possible. The AED program does that.