Harvey L. Hall donates AED lifesaving device to Tehachapi's Dye Natatorium Pool

August 27, Hall Ambulance Service donated an automated external defibrillator (AED) to the Tehachapi Valley Recreation and Park District, for use at the Dye Natatorium Pool. Hall Ambulance Founder and President Harvey L. Hall traveled to Tehachapi to make the presentation.

The donation is part of Hall Ambulance's community outreach program, which has previously donated AEDs to senior centers in the Company's East Kern Response Areas, which include Boron, California City, Rosamond, Mojave and Tehachapi.

According to Corey Torres, aquatics manager of the Dye Natatorium, the pool can attract as many as 100 people a day during the busy summer time. The facility offers a variety of programs for all ages, ranging from mommy and me to water aerobics and Aqua Zumba!

The availability and placement of an AED in a public place such as the Dye Natatorium, can make a tremendous difference for someone experiencing sudden cardiac arrest (SCA)-an electrical malfunction of the heart which disrupts its normal rhythm. An SCA victim requires defibrillation, by a medical professional such as a paramedic, or a trained layperson using an AED, to stop ventricular fibrillation. In such cases, time is of the essence for survivability.

For every minute that passes without a shock to the heart, an SCA victim's chance of survival decreases by 7-10%. After 10 minutes, very few victims survive.

One of the leading causes of death in the United States, SCA strikes more than 300,000 victims each year. The best chance for a positive outcome is when the Chain of Survival is followed within the first few minutes of SCA onset.

The Chain of Survival consists of four steps:

• Early Access to Emergency Care must be provided by calling 911.

• Early CPR should be started and maintained until emergency medical services (EMS) arrive.

• Early Defibrillation is the only thing that can re-start the heart function of a person with ventricular fibrillation (VF). If an automated external defibrillator is available, a trained operator should administer defibrillation as quickly as possible until ambulance paramedics arrive.

• Early Advanced Care, the final link, includes advanced life support care administered by ambulance paramedics and the expedient transport of the patient in a state-of-the-art ALS ambulance to the closest ER. Ambulance paramedics monitor the patient closely on the way to the hospital, where more definitive diagnostic evaluation and treatment can occur.

In certain environments, where the chain is strong and when defibrillation occurs within the first few minutes of cardiac arrest, survival rates can approach 80% to 100%.

Hall Ambulance Service, Inc. was established in 1971, by Harvey L. Hall, founder and president. The Company provides 9-1-1 paramedic service for 87% of Kern County, California as well as critical care and air ambulance services. Hall Ambulance Service has provided paramedic ambulance service to Tehachapi, Golden Hills, Bear Valley Springs and Stallion Springs, since October 1, 1979.