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.

Locked alone in your house means you will not survive. That's the reality of that situation.
but
What if you are visiting with neighbors, or are outside doing things like trimming flowers, or chatting with people? Maybe they would be able to call 911 and start to render aid immediately. Someone can be kept alive with CPR, and viable for a full recovery, even if their heart cannot be restarted for tens of minutes. It's about keeping the oxygen moving to the brain.

You really should learn about how AEDs work. They are computers and monitor the heart. They direct a person to do CPR better. They analyze the heart and will order people to stand clear to deliver a shock ONLY when it's REQUIRED.
If a responder cannot correctly tell if there is a pulse, the AED can. AED will say "begin CPR". Plain and simple, it's the expert tool helping people do things right.

Having someone there right away improves your chance of survival without complications. Brain injury happens when too much time passes between the heart attack, and getting blood moving again. That's 4 minutes max. Waiting for an ambulance to arrive means likely your fears will happen. I'd take the nearby volunteers with an AED every time.

Thoughts and prayers!

I think this is true for many who live alone, and in my area it is mostly widows.

Sounds like someone wants to be the head honcho!

Why not let each village or area do their own thing? This chart makes me think that I don’t care to just donate to a group that wants to control everything. Watch what you wish for!