Project Lifesaver Campaign Aims to Increase Community's Awareness and Public Access to AEDs
News Release: October 31, 2002
Contact: Janice Osborne, Manager-Media & Community Affairs
(610) 865-4400, ext. 262
The American Red Cross of the Greater Lehigh Valley is one of five Red Cross chapters across the country selected to participate in a pilot program to increase the community’s awareness about the need for greater access to Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs). An AED is a portable device that delivers an electric shock to the heart to restore a heart’s normal rhythm on sudden cardiac arrest victims.
The chapter was selected to participate in Project Lifesaver based on chapter demographics, current level of involvement in national headquarter initiatives and strength of health and safety and disaster services.
“The vision of the Red Cross is that all Americans will be within 4 minutes of an AED, and someone trained to use it in the event of a sudden cardiac arrest,” said Steve Vetrano, senior director of Programs and General Services, and pilot program manager. “Chances of survival from sudden cardiac arrest decrease 10 percent each minute after collapse. The key to survival is quick action on the part of those near the victim, so it is critical that people be prepared.”
The Red Cross hopes to make AEDs as common as fire extinguishers through the Project Lifesaver campaign by providing the crucial knowledge of the cardiac chain of survival. It is estimated that as many as 50,000 lives could be saved every year.
There are four steps to the “Cardiac Chain of Survival”: 1) early recognition and early activation of 9-1-1 or the local emergency number; 2) initiating early CPR; 3) early defibrillation using an automated external defibrillator (AED); and 4) early advanced life support.
As part of the pilot, the American Red Cross of the Greater Lehigh Valley will conduct direct mail campaigns, distribute Public Service Announcements to area television, radio and print media, and carry out presentations to community groups such as schools, churches, businesses and community organizations. Project Lifesaver runs in the Lehigh Valley area through March 30, 2003.
“We clearly have a plan in place to educate the Lehigh Valley about the importance of this lifesaving skill and device,” said Vetrano. “Sudden cardiac arrest can strike anytime -- most often in places where large groups of people gather such as corporate offices, malls, airports, sports stadiums or golf courses. When seconds count, a life can be saved with an AED when used with CPR.”
Legislators have become actively involved with this issue, mostly in the past four years. The Cardiac Arrest Survival Act provides Good Samaritan protection to lay AED users.
Last June, national American Red Cross contracted with Issues & Answers to conduct a telephone survey to assess awareness and perception of AEDs in five distinct geographic areas: the Lehigh Valley; Portland, Maine; Norfolk, Va.; Cheyenne, Wyoming; and Colorado Springs, Colorado.
Key findings revealed the following:
• most respondents are unable to name a reason for when an AED would be used.
• of the 43 percent of respondents who could name a reason, most mentioned that an AED has some relationship to the heart and use in emergencies.
• while one in three respondents do not know who they would contact for AED training, a total of 21 percent of those who could name an organization selected the American Red Cross.
For more information about AEDs and Red Cross training on using this lifesaving device, call the Red Cross at (610) 865-4400 or visit www.redcrosslv.org.
The American Red Cross of the Greater Lehigh Valley serves more than 660,000 residents in Carbon, Lehigh and Northampton counties. Last year the Red Cross provided health and safety education training and emergency relief services to nearly 20,000 Greater Lehigh Valley residents.
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