I am very glad to hear this clarified. BY someone I have learned to trust. A reasonable person.

I just wrote a check for $120 to purchase 4 AED's for the Village of Tamarind Grove golf side. That's Southern Star Villas and Odessa Circle designer homes, 168 units total. We are going to have one at the front and back entrance to the villas and since Odessa Circle makes a complete loop around the outside of the villas, they will put the other two somewhere on Odessa Circle.

I was told that once you connect the AED to an person it will indicate what you should do or not do. We'll have residents who are trained in their operation, in fact Monday some are going to the Sarasota Fire Station for an introduction.

Without reading through all these posts....what good are the AED's if they are locked up?

Within each neighborhood that purchases the AED, the "responders" will all have a key to the box housing the unit.

But that doesn't help the person that needs it NOW. The person needing to grab the AED now has to find a person with the key. ......doesn't make sense to me that they are locked. They need to be used instantly. ( I'm not talking about this particular case, although it should have been in someone's hands in case he needed it)

Maybe, they need some other kind of locking system-- like a code entry-- which would allow more people to access it without a probability that someone might steal it for profit or kicks.

The AEDs are housed in a locked box that is attached to the outside of a person's house. The units are valued at around $1,700. All the responders have a key to the locked box. Chances are that the EMTs will be at the victim's house within a couple of minutes than when the neighborhood responders get there. The AED program is a great second layer of protection.

I still think that the starters and golf ambassadors should be certified as responders as a condition of employment.

Put in survey
 

:bigbow: I agree that the starters and ambassadors should be trained responders. Someday they could help save a life---some may already be trained on their own or as part of a neighborhood program.

I would want someone with training putting the AED on my loved ones. I know it is simple, but you must have training to be the person who will use it. AT least that is what I thought they said when they came to our village to tell about it. We have two units and eight or nine trained people.


Many, many villages are buying them and getting training.


You must meet the criteria to be shocked. Not everyone who is down, is out, if you see what I mean.

Are we posting solutions to a problem that maybe does not exist?

The AED program is a layer of insurance. We will be getting them soon in my neighborhood and I am contributing to the cost. Of course, the AED service will be provided to all in the 'hood no matter if they contributed or not.

I think it bears repeating that the when the AED devices are installed around the rec centers or starter shacks there was appropriate training of folks to use these devices and a routine whereby those qualified can be contacted in the event of an emergency.

This is the part that did not for what ever reason work properly in the event the OP described. The reason for that needs to be pursued or there will be a repeat if needed in the future!

I agree with you it is good that the AED program is or will be in all Villages.
The people posting, how it should be run and who should run it, don't have a clue about how the program at the rec centers and golf courses is designed and run. And further to jump to the conclusion, because of one incident, that the program is failing.....is unfair to all those volunteers (our neighbors) who make it work.

Can someone please tell me where at the Truman starter shack the AED is located??

If not, can you tell me, was it in fact locked and no one could get to it??

I am pretty sure there is no AED at the Truman starter shack.

Is anyone sure there are AED's at any of the starter shacks???

Is there really one there?? Or is there a lot of guessing going on here???

Is there really training for the starters on AED's ??

I called the number for the Truman/Roosevelt starter shack and asked the gentleman who answered if there is an AED/defibulator in the starter shack? And he said he didn't know, you would have to call the "club". I asked if he was trained to use an AED/defibulator and he said "No, Maam".He said he didn't think that there was one in the starter shack.


Bogie? You can get better information than this. Go for it, boy.

Serious concerns expressed above by this new poster.......
I read both posts with total understanding of what she was trying to convey. As we all age, at some time or another, everyone will confront problems of mobility, or perhaps an unexpected medical emergency..........in a retirement community of oldsters (or I used to assume they were all old people like us), ease of access to all venues , along with handicapped parking, should be a top priority.

Anytime a place gets too big, the little things , the important things, get lost along the way.

Hopefully, all turned out well for the injured individual, as the ambulance did seem to arrive in an expedient manner.

To the original poster, I knew what you meant to convey........
We too, have been weighing apples vs. oranges, such as the desirability of a much smaller community on the oceanfront which has all of the services one would desire, plus less crowded conditions with lower population.......vs. the original dream of The Villages as a retirement destination. Perhaps we waited too long and are already too old. Que sera sera.......

To begin I suggest you go and reread post #12.
You have jumped to conclusions on both instances.
We do not know the full story regarding the AED issue. To find fault with the whole villages is wrong at this point. There is a very active AED program with many in place and more on the way. Did you know that? See post 25.
The issue of handicapped parking spaces has been brought before on TOTV and issue was responded to by the District Manager. The result was the law has been followed. Did you know that? What makes you think it is not a high priority?
Important things getting lost...........based on what?
It is easy to judge from afar with little first hand knowledge.
__________________
Speak your mind but keep a fast horse.





And then again maybe.....................

This is as much fact as I could find.....

According to:
Capt. Gail J. Lazenby, EMT-P
Training & Quality Assurance
gail.lazenby@districtgov.org
who trained me in CPR and AED as a Gilchrist community first responder:

As I understood him (Gail) to say, Golf Management Solutions (GMS) is contracted to manage all the courses, whether owned by the developer or the district. No starter huts have AED's which decision is apparently based on liability concerns of GMS.

Rec centers still owned by the developer and sports pools do have AEDs and staff trained to respond. Truman Rec Center does have an AED, the golf starter hut does not.
The Rec Ctr unit is not locked.

Further, Gail echoed what his training indicates: don't use a defibrillator on a conscious patient with a pulse and (I'm adding) ask yourself if you are qualified to handle CPR and an AED if you aren't trained or your certification is expired. The training is quick, easy, and readily available.

///

The question of AEDs at the golf courses has been raised several times in the past. The response has been that by the time someone drives back to the starter/golf shop and gets the AED and goes back to the victim, the paramedics could already be there. To the question of someone calling the starter to have the AED sent out, the better answer is to call 911 and give course and location. The emergency vehicles have all the course information to get there quickly.

With the proliferation of cell phones, it is advisable to have one with you when playing (please put it on vibrate and keep it in your bag) in case of an emergency.

I am told that starters/ambassadors are forbidden to render any kind of medical aid. Even if the starter or ambassador is a retired MD. Can any course worker verify that?

They are locked up because they are very expensive pieces of equipment and as we are all aware there are some who like to come into TV and take things from our homes, cars and carts that do not belong to them. First responders with keys are alerted when a 911 call is placed.

Now who told you that?

He is correct. You may consider this first hand knowledge.

Here is the front page article from today's March 30, Daily Sun.
There is a lot of information that some of the uniformed posters will benefit by reading.


Villages

If you use an AED on a person with a pulse you could kill them. It should only be used when there is no heartbeat.

yes, there are several areas from the parking lots to the sidewalks that have no curb cut outs.....I understand how this person feels, been there for sure!

Yes, there are ramps at the corners of the blocks, but she might be talking about other places, and I'm not sure which square she means. Pushing a wheelchair can be frustrating sometimes.

yes, that's true, and she did say he was breathing. so probably the AED wasn't necessary.

The AED vest device will not work if a pulse is present. The machine detects it on it's own.

CPR Compression only, no breathing into a victim
 

from the above article...regarding compression only CPR...
guote:
In another shift about two and a half years ago, District Public Safety adopted a change from traditional CPR, which includes airway ventilation and mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, to chest compression-only CPR with the use of automated external defibrillators, or AEDs.

The compression-only approach not only brought a significant increase in survival rates, Geeslin said, but also encourages more residents to dive into CPR training. People are more willing to give chest compressions than to use the mouth-to-mouth method, he said.

AED will not likely shock someone who doesn't need it.
 

A little research...here's a university based answer.
Frequently Asked Questions About AED's, Automated External Defibrillators - Learn AED

quote: Can the AED accidentally shock someone who doesn’t need a shock?

Not likely. The AED is designed to only shock VF. It will not shock any other heart rhythm. Nevertheless, AEDs are not perfect and in 1% of cases it may shock a rhythm other than VF. That’s why it should only be attached to a person who is unconscious and has collapsed.

FYI an AED WILL NOT a person unless a shock is needed. It does a patient assessment and decides and tells you what needs to be done period.