Smaller, Less Expensive Defibrillators Bring Back Life at Offices and Apartment Complexes

The events of September 11, 2001 have made commercial property owners and managers, as well as the individuals who work within these structures, more keenly aware of the potential for disaster.

But what about another very real type of disaster that can occur within commercial property buildings? What about the individual who suffers a heart attack and is in an office on the 9th floor, and has to wait precious extra minutes while paramedics make their way through the building?

As defibrillators become increasingly affordable and incredibly easy to use, these life saving devices have quickly made their way from ambulances, police cars and fire trucks into office buildings, apartment and condominium complexes. When every second counts it makes sense for commercial property owners and managers to have defibrillators on hand to stabilize a heart attack victim in the moments before the emergency medical teams can arrive.

Proven to save lives, local communities witnessed the effectiveness of defibrillators on September 14th 2002 when a referee collapsed after suffering a heart attack on the Wellesley High School football field. Fortunately an automatic external defibrillator (AED) was on hand along with an athletic trainer who knew what to do; the referee’s life was saved. In the spring of 2000, paramedics were on hand when a spectator at the Ryder Cup collapsed. Using an AED or automatic external defibrillator, the paramedics saved his life. Following the incident, the Brookline Country Club purchased two automatic external defibrillators and trained their staff to use them. Wollaston Country Club in Milton has also led the way in having the devices on hand in an emergency situation.

A recent visit to Chicago’s O’Hare airport revealed that the devices have been installed every 25 feet, next to emergency phones and fire extinguishers. When a device is taken from the wall a call immediately goes out to an emergency medical team enabling a quick medical follow up.

The devices cost between $1,500 to about $4,000 and companies are currently developing smaller, more affordable versions for use in commercial properties and even private homes. The AEDs are so easy to use they actually talk people through the process. Once the device is turned on electro pads are attached to the victim’s chest. A microprocessor inside the defibrillator determines whether the heart rhythms are abnormal, a condition known as ventricular fibrillation. If the heart rhythm is abnormal the device automatically sends a series of jolts through the chest wall to shock the heart. If the rhythms are normal the device won’t work so there is no worry that a person will be shocked accidentally.

With minimal training, the newest devices are so simple to use that manufacturers claim they are designed to be used in an emergency by a sixth grader. As far as liability, businesses and individuals alike should understand that Massachusetts, along with most other states, has a Good Samaritan law that protects individuals acting in good faith who help victims.

The Town of Brookline has been very pro-active and taken a pro-health position with the installation of defibrillators in three different municipal buildings, including the Brookline Senior Center, the Brookline Health Department, and the Brookline Town Hall. The town has offered training to both staff members and volunteers in the use of these defibrillators, as a first step of this preventive medical plan.

Brookline Commissioner of Public Health Alan Balsam said that the town's goal is to expand the defibrillator coverage it offers, through additional buildings and into the schools. He envisions defibrillator use, eventually, as becoming part of the school's curriculum, with ongoing training. He cited the city of Seattle, WA, as a municipality that provides extensive defibrillation coverage; the city has the highest out-of-hospital success rate in treating cardiac arrest, with a 28% chance of survival. The city of Brookline eventually, hopes to see defibrillators as commonplace as fire extinguishers. Several private structures in Brookline, including the Brook House, a major apartment and condominium complex, also have defibrillators on site.

Balsam said that Brookline operates a continuous community health assessment, known through its published name, "Healthy Brookline." He said their results show heart disease and stroke to be the leading cause of death among Brookline citizens. This study prompted the city to push for a preventive program, and to install the defibrillators to increase the survival rates in heart attacks.

The Boston Globe has installed defibrillators and nationally companies from Charles Schwab Corp. to Proctor & Gamble Co. are installing them for the employees as well.

In the United States alone, greater than 350,000 adults die from sudden cardiac arrest each year. Sudden cardiac arrest is not preventable and can occur in cardiac patients as well as those lacking signs of cardiac illness.

In sudden cardiac arrest, the most frequently, and successfully, used emergency lifesaving method is the use of the external defibrillator, which corrects cardiac ventricular fibrillation through the application of electrical shock. Since the most successful response to sudden cardiac arrest is rapid, immediate application of shock by defibrillator, every minute of delay reduces the chances of success by 10 percent.

Even with the best emergency response teams on alert it can take emergency personnel 3 to 5 minutes to reach a patient once they’ve entered a commercial building. The concept of defibrillators has clearly caught on, with public buildings, stadiums and casinos adding this to their standard first aid competence. A number of aircrafts have also added defibrillators. As the devices become more commonplace it makes sense for building with large numbers of people to install them. It is particularly prudent to employ the devices in areas that are more difficult to access, such as high rises or large complexes.

For further information on automatic external defibrillators and defibrillator training in your community you may contact your local police or fire departments, the American Heart Association or your local ambulance service.

Fallon Ambulance Service was founded in 1936 by James R. Fallon, Sr., and has remained a family operated business to this day. The founder’s son, James R. (Ray) Fallon, Jr., and five of his children have all played an integral role in the company’s operation and growth. Fallon Ambulance employs more than 400 personnel, and operates 115 vehicles. The company provides 9-1-1 service to Milton, Quincy, Brookline, Weymouth, Braintree and Dedham as well as primary backup to Boston and Randolph. Fallon Ambulance Service also provides medical transportation for a number of nursing homes, hospitals, and HMOs throughout Greater Boston. Headquarters are at 111 Brook Road, Quincy, MA 02169, and Fallon Ambulance operates satellite offices in Weymouth, Allston and Quincy, MA. A new state-of-the-art headquarters is slated for opening in Quincy in the Fall, 2004. Fallon Ambulance Service is a several-time recipient of the South Shore Chamber of Commerce’s “Success Profile,” and the “local heroes” award by the South Shore Community Action Council. For additional information about Fallon Ambulance services or programs that the company offers, contact Peter Racicot, Senior Vice President of Business Development, at (617) 745-2100, ext. 117 or visit www.fallonambulance.com.