Kiwanis donates funds for defibrillator

The Kiwanis Club of Sisters recently presented the Sisters-Camp Sherman Fire District with a check for $1,265 earmarked for the purchase of an automated external defibrillator (AED), a lifesaving emergency medical device.

The new AED will be placed into service in one of the chief officer command vehicles, which are often present at public functions and first on the scene of an emergency.

An AED is used to deliver a "counter shock" to victims of cardiac arrest. The machine is programmed to effectively recognize fatal heart rhythms, and the electric shock delivered by an AED essentially resets the electrical system of the heart in an attempt to restore an effective heart beat.

"Having an AED as part of the chief officer equipment ... will aid in the delivery of a 'counter shock' while an ambulance is responding to the scene, which will increase a victim's chance of survival where it's been proven that every minute counts," said Jeremy Ast, Shift Commander with the Sisters-Camp Sherman Fire District.

Research has shown that early defibrillation has been proven to drastically improve a victim's chance of survival from a cardiac arrest, and as a result many communities (including Sisters-Camp Sherman) have invested in AEDs. The Sisters-Camp Sherman Fire District currently owns six AED's, placed strategically throughout the community.

"We would like to express our sincere appreciation to the Kiwanis Club of Sisters for their support of our mission to provide the citizens and visitors of the Sisters and Camp Sherman communities with the highest level of emergency medical care," said Ast.

Ast urged community members who have additional questions about AEDs and how they could potentially benefit their businesses to contact the Sisters-Camp Sherman Fire District at 549-0771 or e-mail [email protected]