The number one killer in America is Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA), killing more than 400,000 people a year. It can strike anyone, anywhere, at any time, and in most cases, without warning. Without treatment, victims have only minutes to live. With quick response, this condition is readily treatable with survival rates well over 50 percent. Unfortunately, most of the time, the necessary life-saving equipment does not arrive in time. As a result, typical survival rates are only 2 percent to 5 percent.
Illinois recently passed the Physical Fitness Facility Medical Emergency Preparedness Act (PA 93-0910) known as the Colleen O’Sullivan Act which requires various indoor physical fitness facilities to develop and implement a plan for responding to medical emergencies and to file a copy of the plan with the Department of Public Health. Each such facility is required to have at least one Automated External Defibrillator (AED) on the facility premises and to have a trained AED user on staff. Colleen O’Sullivan would probably be alive today if her health club had an AED. Thirteen states currently have AED Legislation or pending legislation in place that require AEDs be placed inside of physical fitness facilities.
Despite their goal of improving health and fitness among the population, the unfortunate reality for fitness facilities is that their visitors, intentionally, push their bodies to the limits of physical exertion on a regular basis. Because cardiac arrest rarely displays any warning signs, and affects all ages and levels of fitness, no one is truly 100 percent safe from this incredible danger.
SCA is caused by chaotic electrical activity in the heart and can only be treated with an electric shock called defibrillation. Recent advances in modern technology, along with legislative support from federal and state governments, have made a solution available to the public. Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) are this life-saving solution. With a well-trained staff, fitness facilities with AEDs can respond extremely quickly to cases of SCA.
By having an AED in your facility, your club can lead the charge with the best defense against this life-threatening condition, Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA).
Key advantages of AEDs:
1. Saves Lives
2. Protects your employees, members and guests
3. Protects your health club
4. Simple and easy to use
5. Extremely cost-effective for tight budgets
6. Low life-cycle cost of ownership
7. Very low maintenance
8. Light, compact and self-contained for easy storage and deployment
9. Durable and reliable
How do I implement AEDs in my health club?
Building an AED program is simpler now than it ever has been. The steps to adopt an AED program are as follows:
1. Obtain medical authorization from a physician (prescription)
2. Purchase an AED that meets your needs and requirements
3. Train a small group of employees in CPR (Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation) and AED use.
Dennis Zulanas is the Regional Vice President of Debfibrillators USA. He can be contacted at 866.843.3935, or by email atdennis.zulanas@AED-Sales.com.
