Cardiac Arrest
Too often, we hear about these stories in the news—a student is at sports practice or game and suddenly he or she collapses from sudden cardiac arrest. When an unexpected tragedy like this happens, immediate use of an automatic external defibrillator gives victims the greatest chance at survival.
Without the use of an AED, current success rates are at 5%. We can increase our success rates from 50% to 65% by providing automatic external defibrillators in our schools, gyms, recreation centers, and other public places.
"The Palo Alto Fire Department, like the American Heart Association, believes that access to early defibrillation is the key to survival and encourages the deployment of Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) and training in the recognition of a cardiac emergency in all high occupancy buildings across the city."