This article is reprinted with permission by the Christian Security Network- Jeff Hawkins.
We have always said that someone is more likely to die of a heart attack in your church than a gunshot. Remember that the definition of the word “security” means to be free from fear or anxiety; it is not always about alarms, guns, and guards. There are many stories about people being saved by AED’s, but the story of Sallie Sims attending her Alabama Church recently should bring the point of being prepared home to every church:
Church Saves Great-Great-Grandmother during Service (September 20, 2010/First Aid Corps)
The last thing Sallie Sims remembers about going to a funeral last week at CrossPoint Church of Christ was wondering if she would know the fourth verse to the hymn “No Setting Sun.” Sims is living proof that having an automated external defibrillator, or AED, on site can make a difference in whether a person lives after the onset of sudden cardiac death.
CrossPoint bought its defibrillator in 2006 at the urging of a church elder. Staff members rushed to get the device when Sims collapsed.
WHAT IS AN AED?
The American Red Cross gives the following definition of the Automatic External Defibrillator (AED): “An AED is a small, portable device that analyzes the heart’s rhythm for any abnormalities and, if necessary, directs the rescuer to deliver an electrical shock to the heart of someone suffering from sudden cardiac arrest. This shock, called defibrillation, may help the heart to reestablish an effective rhythm.” [http://www.redcrosslv.org/aed.html#whatis]
WHAT IS A HEART ATTACK?
Coronary heart disease (CHD) is the leading cause of death for both men and women in the United States. CHD is caused by a narrowing of the coronary arteries that supply blood to the heart, and often results in a heart attack. Each year, about 1.1 million Americans suffer a heart attack. About 460,000 of those heart attacks are fatal. About half of those deaths occur within 1 hour of the start of symptoms and before the person reaches the hospital. [National Institute of Health/ http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/actintime/aha/aha.htm ]
According to the American Heart Association: “…heart attack may cause cardiac arrest and sudden death, but it’s not the same thing. The most common underlying cause of sudden cardiac arrest is a heart attack that results in ventricular fibrillation (VF) (quivering of the heart’s lower chambers). This irregular heart rhythm causes the heart to suddenly stop pumping blood. No statistics are available for the exact number of sudden cardiac arrests that occur each year. If no bystander CPR is provided, a victim’s chances of survival are reduced by 7 to 10 percent with every minute of delay until defibrillation. The cardiac arrest survival rate is only about 5 percent if a system for providing early defibrillation is not present in a community. In cities with “community AED programs,” when bystanders provide immediate CPR and the first shock is delivered within 3 to 5 minutes, the reported survival rates from VF sudden cardiac arrest are as high as 48 to 74 percent.”
AED HISTORY & PUBLIC ACCESS
In the early 1970s, Dr Arch Diack, Dr W. Stanley Welborn, and Robert Rullman5 developed several prototype AEDs that were tested in the Portland area. They later formed the Cardiac Resuscitator Corporation to market their device.
Prehospital trials began in Brighton, England, in 1980 using the Heart Aid. The device weighed 28 pounds and used an oral/epigastric and a precordial electrode to record ECG tracings and deliver electrical shocks. It was also capable of transcutaneously pacing the heart. In 1982, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) gave approval for EMT-defibrillation (EMT-D) clinical trials. Early US investigations of manual EMT-D were carried out in Washington, Iowa, Minnesota, and Tennessee.
In the early 1990s, successful training and use of AEDs by police officers and other first responders was reported. However, some responders are hesitant to place and use AEDs for various reasons, and this should be evaluated and addressed.
In the 1990s, AED use by lay personnel was approved by the FDA and Good Samaritan legislation soon followed. AED training was included in the American Red Cross basic CPR course beginning in March of 1999. In November 2002, the Phillips HeartStart AED was approved for home use with a prescription. New York State became the first state to mandate AEDs in schools in May 2003. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) mandated in April 2004 that all large passenger-carrying US airlines carry and have personnel trained in the use of AEDs.
[Automatic External Defibrillation/Author: Joseph J Bocka, MD, Director of Shelby Emergency Department, Attending Emergency Physician at Mansfield Hospital, Med Central Health System (Mansfield and Shelby, Ohio); Emergency Medical Service Medical Director for several services/Apr 9, 2009/http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/780533-overview]
COSTS
The costs of the first AED’s were approximately $5,000, and as noted above, weighed about 28 pounds. Today AED’s cost about $1,500 and weigh only a few pounds and they seem to get smaller and cost less every few years.
Besides the cost of the AED, there are costs for things like extra supplies, signage. We would also suggest an alarmed cabinet, which we would suggest, to deter theft and to know when someone has accessed the AED.
This past quarter’s CSN poll asked “Does your church have an AED?” and with over 300 of you answering, the results break down as follows:
64.1 % – stated that their church does have an AED
29.8% – stated that their church did not have an AED
6.1% – did not know if their church had an AED
It is encouraging to see the majority of the people that answered do have AED’s at their church, however the downside is that about a third don’t or worst don’t know if they do.
Here is the Christian Security Network’s checklist for good AED practices:
1) Determine how many do you need; one may not be enough. The rule of thumb is a first-responder needs to be able to get from the victim to the AED and back in less than 6 minutes; so no more than 3 minutes each way. This is not only inside your building, but from the parking lots.
2) When in doubt, bring your local Emergency Medical Services or Fire Department out to help you with AED placement and response planning.
3) Look for local companies to donate money for this cause. Many support heart health and heart attack prevention and may make a contribution.
4) Look for grant programs; there are several out there specifically for AED’s for not-for-profit organizations.
5) Make the AED’s accessible and visible to the public. It may not be one of your church staff or volunteers that may use it in an emergency.
6) Have Pediatric AED Pads in your kit, as well as the ones that come with it for adults; infants and children suffer from cardiac arrest also. Things like electrical shock and blunt trauma can cause cardiac arrest, things children are may experience.
7) Train as many staff and volunteers as possible in CPR/AED. The courses are not that long, not that hard, and does not cost that much. In fact you may find a trainer that would do it for free. Check with your local Fire Department, American Red Cross, or American Heart Association. It may pay to have someone in your church certified as a trainer so you may do your own training and refreshers.
Check the AED’s batteries and supplies on a weekly basis and document it.
I pray that you will take this information to your church leadership and act if you are one of the third of churches that indicated you do not have an AED.
If you have any questions about how to implement a church security ministry team, need refresher training for an existing church security team, including EMS/ CPR/ AED training, or you want to learn more about church security training, feel free to call or email Gideon Protective Services or Mind Sight Training for a free, confidential consultation. See what Gideon and Mindsight can do for you. You can find us on the web. Find out the many benefits to having a church security ministry team that benefit the church, church administrators, staff, and the congregation.
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