Community members are asked to register AEDs to help create citywide device directory

 

In an effort to further enhance community health and safety, the City of Farmington Hills and the Farmington Hills Fire Department are pursuing a HEARTSafe Community designation through the Citizen CPR Foundation. This designation recognizes communities that demonstrate a strong commitment to improving survival rates for cardiac emergencies through public education, training and access to lifesaving equipment.

 

“Every second counts in a cardiac emergency and the Farmington Hills Fire Department is working to ensure the best possible outcome for patients in the community,” said Farmington Hills Fire Chief Jon Unruh. “For the past 30 years, the Farmington Hills Fire Department has been proactively training community members in CPR so they’re empowered to act during an emergency while waiting for first responders to arrive. Applying for the HEARTSafe Community designation reflects the City’s commitment to being a resilient and caring community."

 

As part of the initiative, the City is asking community members, businesses and organizations to register Automated External Defibrillators (AED) on PulsePoint AED, an app that helps build a map of AED devices across the City with community support. Once community members register an AED, the Farmington Hills Fire Department will confirm the location to verify it in the app. Farmington Hills dispatchers can use data from the app to inform 911 callers of the nearest AED, which could save critical seconds during bystander intervention.

 

Bystander intervention is essential to survival during sudden cardiac arrest. Chest compressions and AED use greatly improve chances of surviving cardiac arrest. According to the American Heart Association, more than 350-thousand cardiac arrests occur outside of the hospital each year. Bystander intervention can double, or even triple, a person’s chance of survival if CPR is administered immediately after cardiac arrest. 

 

The Farmington Hills Fire Department will continue to offer American Heart Association Heartsaver classes that teach CPR, AED and first aid skills to the community. Through this training, participants learn to recognize signs of cardiac arrest and the actions to take while awaiting first responder arrival. These courses are held several times throughout the year and are open to participants ages 12 and up for a nominal fee. Private group sessions are also available.

 

For more information about the Farmington Hills Fire Department, visit www.fhgov.com/fire or call 248-871-2800. To sign up for a community CPR class or request a private class, email FDEvents@fhgov.com

 

Press Release PDF