[Mlogan22@tampabay.rr.com]

We have CYV in Allendale, Village of Duval. How does one find out who the key keeper is? My husband has a bad heart.

[crash]

Originally Posted by kpd3062

So I live in a newer Village. Neighbors have been collecting to purchase some AED’s. One of my neighbors said in his last Village he was one of the “Captain’s “ I think they are called. I asked how often the AED’s were used and he said never to his knowledge. I was wondering if there are statistics on how often they are used in TV and the success rates? Thanks

Yes they are used and their are over 400 of them in the Villages. You can contact Lieutenant Longacre at the fire department he oversees the AED program and can provide those numbers for you.

Or better yet the fire department is having an open house on August 2nd at station 44 on 3035 Morse blvd. I believe 1-4.

[J1ceasar]

Consider that the ambulances take one full hour to respond to most emergencies in most of the villages and you surely better Need aeds

[J1ceasar]

Training is available during the year and just like CPR and first aid you should consider it a duty to attend one of them even if you're not the person doing it yourself you can certainly help and be aware of the knowledge you gained

[DrRick614]

Former surgeon and advanced cardiac life support instructor here. Out of hospital CPR has a very poor survival rate. With an AED, the survival rate increases exponentially ! We are blessed that we have so many volunteers here in TV that are willing to respond to a neighbor in need. Just another reason why living in “the bubble” is so great!

[bruce213]

In the village of La Belle north we have 600+ homes and average 2 AED alerts a year.

[Paula]

Our area has 3 AEDs. Each is locked for security. Ours use combination locks. No key or hunting for a key required. AED training is provided by TV fire department for those who want to be first responders. When a heart related 911 call comes in, the responders are automatically notified - land line call, mobile call, text. They also do a monthly notification test. It is an excellent program that hopefully will be used very sparingly.

[barbnick]

Better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it.

[Dana1963]

Originally Posted by kpd3062

So I live in a newer Village. Neighbors have been collecting to purchase some AED’s. One of my neighbors said in his last Village he was one of the “Captain’s “ I think they are called. I asked how often the AED’s were used and he said never to his knowledge. I was wondering if there are statistics on how often they are used in TV and the success rates? Thanks

I hope they never need to be used.

[M2inOR]

I am the coordinator for our neighborhood of about 100 homes in Marsh Bend. We have two, and are secured with combination locks.

We have a team of trained responders. I collected funds to purchase and install them, pay for replacement batteries in 4 years, replacement of pads after use, and pay for the alert system that notifies responders when there is a cardiac event.

We collected enough for more than 4 years of costs and alert memberships.

We are all trained, and will have periodic refresher training. We also hope to be there when needed, but don't mind if we are never needed.

Our neighborhood was easy - almost all contributed.

The way it works:
- home or family member calls 911 for response
- 911 dispatch determines location and whether this is a cardiac event where an AED would be helpful
- Emergency Services is dispatched AND EeadyAlert is notified. ReadyAlert checks their database and issues a voice and/or text alert to the responders closest to AED group.

Our group pays an annual fee to ReadyAlert for that dispatch service.

[Indydealmaker]

Please read post #4.

[Dilligas]

Originally Posted by Bill14564

In some cases they will be faster and in others they will not. They are purchased for the cases where they will be faster.

Why in the world would you lock the AED? You want this to be available in an instant to whoever happens to be there. Locking them up and waiting for a key makes them far less useful. EDIT: Because these have been stolen in the past and because it seems Florida law requires AED and CPR training before someone is allowed to use one.

Will the EMT slow their response? Would the EMT like to see his name on the front page of the paper in the article about a death that occurred when the response was slowed?

The well-meaning amateurs don't need to diagnose anything. The "A" in AED takes care of diagnosing whether a shock is necessary.

They are under lock and key because in this world they are valuable and could be stolen (not necessarily by TV residents). There are usually 2 or more depending on coverage range. In our area, response time by AED crew is less than 2 minutes, and EMT is 4-6 minutes. If the AED is not needed, it will tell the user, however, CPR is begun immediately upon arrival (nearby responder will go directly to the patient while one of the other responders who pass the AED stands gets the unit). Our neighbor area of about 130 homes has 12-15 trained responders (depending on time of year) each with key to lock. We had about 80-90% who donated and new move-ins add to that. TV AED groups and systems are being studied and copied nation wide. It is well worth it…..as is insurance….hoping you never need the service.

[Dan9871]

Originally Posted by J1ceasar

Consider that the ambulances take one full hour to respond to most emergencies in most of the villages and you surely better Need aeds

I have had to call for an Ambulance for my wife many times here in The Villages. The EMT's always have arrived in less than 10 minutes, usually 5 for 6. The ambulance takes longer, about 20 minutes.

Where did you get your info that it takes an hour?

[Kevin Knussman]

When I moved into The Villages last year I was approached by my neighbors to join the Neighbors Helping Neighbors (NHN) response program. As a paramedic moving from a Maryland county with an aggressive AED program, I was beyond mildly interested and took the required training program through the PSD as soon as it was available. Let me give you the information as I view it.
Various villages have AEDs purchased by the residents of that particular village. According to the last report issued by TV PSD there are 249 AED groups with a total of 649 AEDs in service. The program has over 4700 volunteer neighborhood responders that are trained in CPR and AED use.
The report states that there were a total of 87 cardiac arrests reported in The Villages during the first six months of 2021. Thirty-four were located in areas with active neighborhood responders. The AEDs were placed on patients four times.
Those are the latest statistics that I have.
Why such a low placement ratio? I suspect that much of the time NHN responders find a person is obviously dead and not a candidate for CPR, or TVPSD arrived prior to deployment of the AED. First responder might arrive before or simultaneously with NHN responders. Please allow me to explain further...
When a 911 call is placed and a cardiac arrest reported NHN responders get a automated phone call and text sending them to the address where the emergency is located. Some responders may respond directly to the address and begin CPR while others will retrieve an AED and take it to the location.
We have an incredibly fast response from PSD and allied agencies. A cardiac arrest will result in multiple units being dispatched. Occasionally the closest unit/s are already on another response resulting in a potential delay.
NHN responders may initiate CPR and deploy the AED, if appropriate, prior to arrival of first responders. NHN volunteers may also continue to assist in CPR and other support functions until there are an adequate number of first responders at the patient side engaged in care.
Sudden cardiac arrest response with CPR and an AED is critical. It has been reported that the chance of survival goes down 10% every minute after arrest, but the chance of a good outcome is really front loaded in the first five minutes.
Once the electrical activity in the heart has deteriorated and the chemistry of the cells degrade the opportunity to restore a pulse with a shock is eliminated.
Paramedics can give drugs with the hope of stimulating a shockable heart rhythm but it is a dire situation.
However, with immediate CPR, and if a heart is shocked back into a circulating rhythm the patient has a good chance of a positive outcome. The patient can be transported to a hospital capable of emergent placement of a cardiac stent to restore circulation to the area of the heart beyond the blockage.
Please note, not all cardiac arrest are a result of a blockage. Some are the result of other medical issues such as respiratory arrest from an overdose, or an electrocution. These emergencies also benefit from immediate CPR and AED deployment. Cardiac care has seen revolutionary developments over the last decade with spectacular improvements in patient quality of life.
The Villages has a model program and is nationally recognized. There were seven new neighborhoods added to the program in the last six months. Reported cardiac arrest "save" rates are around 40%. Compare that to less than 10% in other communities across the country.
Contributions to the program are completely voluntary, but may save your life or the life of someone close to you. It is completely your choice to contribute, but it will be appreciated by your neighbors, some of which will respond to your cardiac arrest if it happens!
I hope this better explains the importance of having a well organized team to respond to sudden cardiac arrest in our community.
Kevin Knussman, Paramedic
Village of Briar Meadow
Easton, Maryland

[nn0wheremann]

Originally Posted by kpd3062

So I live in a newer Village. Neighbors have been collecting to purchase some AED’s. One of my neighbors said in his last Village he was one of the “Captain’s “ I think they are called. I asked how often the AED’s were used and he said never to his knowledge. I was wondering if there are statistics on how often they are used in TV and the success rates? Thanks

Don’t worry about your heart. It will beat for as long as you live. —W. C. Fields. Community sponsored AEDs are a good, inexpensive insurance policy. You are fortunate to live an an AED sponsoring community. Cough up the cash, and count your blessings.