Lehigh Valley Residents Show Increase in Awareness of AEDs, Poll States
News Release: September 3, 2003
Contact: Janice Osborne, director-Communications and Marketing
(610) 865-4400, ext. 262
Residents in Lehigh and Northampton counties are more aware now than they were a year ago about automated external defibrillators (AEDs) in saving the lives of sudden cardiac arrest victims– thanks to the American Red Cross of the Greater Lehigh Valley’s participation in Project Lifesaver, a Red Cross community awareness pilot program.
A poll conducted by an independent firm indicated a 16 percent increase in the number of residents in Lehigh and Northampton counties who remember hearing, reading or seeing something about AEDs over a 10-month period that ran from July 2002 through April 2003.
Of the four markets tested in the pilot program – Lehigh Valley; Portland, Maine; Norfolk, Va.; and Colorado Springs, Colo. -- the Lehigh Valley area saw the greatest increase in AED awareness.
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.
“We clearly had a plan in place to educate the Lehigh Valley about the importance of this lifesaving device,” said Stephen Vetrano, senior director-programs and general services at the local Red Cross. “Just because the pilot program is finished doesn’t mean we’ll stop educating our community about AEDs. When seconds count, a life can be saved with an AED when used with CPR. You can’t stress that message often enough.”
As part of the pilot program, the local Red Cross conducted direct mail campaigns, distributed Public Service Announcements to area media, created slogan buttons worn by employees and volunteers, offered a free community-wide CPR/AED training class last March that drew 114 people, and gave presentations to community groups such as schools, churches, businesses and community organizations.
The Red Cross 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.
“We were very pleased to have participated in Project Lifesaver and are even more delighted to see such positive results,” commented Vetrano. “You can’t put a price tag on lifesaving skills and knowledge. Just knowing that residents are more aware of AEDs and may be more inclined to get training in how to use them to help save lives is a great feeling.”
For more information about AEDs and training, call the American Red Cross of the Greater Lehigh Valley at (610) 865-4400, ext. 247, or visit www.redcrosslv.org and click on Health and Safety.
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.
