For Release: IMMEDIATE
Date: May 18, 2006

Leading by Example:

Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention Task Force dedicates new Automated External Defibrillator in N.C. Legislative Building

Publicly accessible AED is dedicated to the people of North Carolina

RALEIGH—When a person has a sudden heart attack resulting in cardiac arrest, quick action can mean the difference between life and death. A defibrillator, in the hands of a trained person, can correct a chaotically beating heart and help keep a person alive until emergency medical help gets there. Yet, most public buildings do not have that equipment or people trained to use it.

Heart disease is the leading cause of death in North Carolina. So, today, in an effort to raise awareness of the need for such equipment and training, North Carolina’s Justus-Warren Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention Task Force dedicated a publicly accessible Automated External Defibrillator (AED) for use in the N.C. Legislative Building, which attracts thousands of visitors a year.

By making this AED available and visible, the Task Force is trying to set an example for private industry, county and state-level worksites and other facilities that have large numbers of employees and visitors. The hope is that the number of publicly accessible AEDs will increase in public buildings and work places, and that more people will become trained in the use of the AED to restore normal heartbeat and in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) to keep oxygen going to a victim’s brain until help arrives.

The AED is integrated into the Legislative Building’s pre-existing emergency response plan. That plan details how the AED will be accessed and used by the legislative response team, led by the Capital Police. Task Force members stressed the importance of working with local EMS and other advanced first responders in developing emergency response plans for all AED locations.

The AED was purchased using Task Force funds, and is to be a permanent fixture in the legislative rotunda. In the future, the unit itself can be replaced, but the plan is to always have a designated AED in the rotunda area between the N.C. House and Senate chambers.

It is a good policy for all able employees to be trained in CPR and AED use. AED and CPR training certifications are good for two years, and then re-certification is required. The training is usually done by instructors certified by the American Heart Association or the American Red Cross.

Speakers at the dedication ceremony included Senator William Purcell, chair of The Justus-Warren Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention Task Force; Senator Austin M. Allran; Representative Carolyn K. Justus, widow of the late Larry Justus who was one of the two late legislators for whom the Task Force is named; Representative Jennifer Weiss; and Dr. Brent Myers of Wake County Emergency Medical Services.

“To reduce the burden of heart disease in our state, we have to approach the problem in a multifaceted way,” said Senator Purcell. “One approach is to increase emergency response capacity. Integration of three components—public AEDs, trained volunteer responders in public places, and a county’s EMS response plan—is one strategy to help reduce death and disability resulting from heart disease,” he said.

For more information on the Task Force and on cardiovascular disease and prevention, visit the Start With Your Heart website at www.startwithyourheart.com.

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