October is “Sudden Cardiac Arrest Month”, and Alachua County Fire Rescue (ACFR) wants to encourage the community to get involved and to help save lives.
ACFR Assistant Chief Michael Cowart said, “becoming a community hero can be as easy as 1…2…3.”
Step 1: Get trained
Knowing what to do when a loved one or a fellow citizen collapses in sudden cardiac arrest is essential for their survival. Residents can obtain cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) training at several locations in Alachua County, and they are easily found by searching for CPR training sites.
Step 2: Get Notified
By joining Pulse Point, residents will be automatically plugged into a database that will alert them when someone near their area is in sudden cardiac arrest. Initializing bystander CPR not only increases the rate of survival. It also provides oxygen to the vital organs until our Paramedics can arrive which will greatly increase their quality of life. There are currently 2,509 live-saving followers of Pulse Point in Alachua County.
Learn more and download Pulse Point.
Step 3: Use of Automatic External Defibrillator (AED)
AEDs are placed in Alachua County buildings and businesses throughout the County. AEDs can assist residents in directions for CPR and when needed and deliver a safe shock to the patient that could save their life. Identifying these devices in locations that residents travel to will help them to be able to act quickly in an emergency. Pulse Point also helps direct users to the nearest location that has an AED.
For more information, contact ACFR Assistant Chief Michael Cowart at (352) 562-6550.