ICC Committee

Editorial

Elevaed Enters 2nd Fire Code Provision for AEDs in Elevator Lobbies

The NFPA and IFC are about to consider, among the new Green Building initiatives, that the human heart is a key part of the machinery, and overdue for protection.

Where politicians have failed, we must hope that our safety engineers will step forward, and begin to rationalize AED deployment across the built environment..

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Articles

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Elevaed announces its unique Poort device

Elevaed development toward intelligent AED enclosures has resulted in a spin-off product called the Poort (Dutch for gateway), with some compelling utility for cramped kitchen and work areas.

ambulance back in the day

Giving up on Urgent Medical Emergencies

Adding two minutes to the “8:59 standard” leaves a trail of dead and brain damaged victims everywhere. But in high rises, which already take an estimated 2 more minutes to access, they had may as well ask the coroner to saddle up the horses and roll the morgue wagon one more time.

Substantiation Statement for Building Coding Application

Here is the substantiation being provided to the code examining committees.

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The Ambulance Response Time Debate

“Matt Zavadsky dared to ask a provocative question in his presentation at the American Ambulance Association conference this past November, “Do Ambulance Response Times Really Matter?”

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A Life-Saving Drug Out of Reach

Naloxone is a benign drug that CPR volunteers could use to rescue overdose victims, who now outnumber auto fatalities.

cardiac arrest

Question and Answer Sheet: Heart Safety in High Rises

Safety agencies need to address the fact that thousands of people are dying needlessly in high rise and office buildings each year, because EMS simply can’t get to them in time. Arrest victims and rescuers have no access to the only device that can save them – an AED.

Tandem AED/EMS

No-Hope Highrise to HeartSmart Community with Tandem AED/EMS

The Tandem AED/EMS strategy has an in-house AED delivering its lifesaving treatment well within four minutes. EMS then arrives some minutes later to consolidate the rescue.

Response Times

Fire Department responses

Dispatch lag slows Los Angeles FD call response

Dispatchers obviously need more autonomy, and less data entry, before sending. Primitive telephony is the likely cause.

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Stroke: Time is brain in delivering EMS care

EMS1 is the leading website and news service for EMS people, and this ‘blog’ is a sterling example of its quality information.

rescue

New Data Released from CARES Program on SCA’s

If a pulse is not restored before EMS transport, additional efforts at the receiving hospital almost invariably fail.

Paramedics[1]

“We’re in a war with the Fire Dept!”

From 50% 50 years ago, actual fire calls are now just 1% of fire department responses, who are now “there to stop the clock”.

Deployment

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Extreme AED Deployment is Expensive

AED overkill is expensive and presents educational issues (even in a university) when multiple brands are involved…

Lobby AED

Heart Safety Co-ops, Commercial AEDs to protect High Rises

Heart safety co-ops may improve serious emergency survivability from <8% to 50% plus.

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The AHA on AEDs – Where, How Many?

The presence and location of AEDs in large office complexes or high-rise buildings can greatly impact survival rates.

AED Registry

The New AED Registry – Closer to the Heart?

Efforts to improve survival should focus on the prompt delivery of medical interventions. CPR and AEDs both need good neighbors.

CPR

heart safety

Cheap health insurance vs our deadliest threat

Given our overweight and aging boomer generation, expect heart safety to emerge as a welcome and affordable concept.

LIFEPAD Recessed

Questions & Answers about AEDs and PADs

Common questions about AEDs and Public Access Defibrillation (PADs), with answers from the American Heart Association

DOMINIC MONAGHAN, EMILIE DE RAVIN, HENRY IAN CUSICK

Red Cross offering “Citizen CPR” training

The American Red Cross now offers Citizen CPR training, a brief course in providing hands-only CPR to victims of cardiac arrest.

Friends with AEDs

Public Places Safer during Cardiac Arrests

This article demonstrates little awareness of the need to protect high-rises as homes or workplaces as well.

Studies

Projects

People who live in poorer areas at more risk for SCA

If there is an elevator, put a PAD in the lobby and watch poor people save themselves. Safety is cheaper than a TBI for all concerned.

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NIH Launches Trials to Evaluate CPR and Drugs

The continuing study of adjunct treatments for SCA; see also CPAP and the recent doubts about epinephrine

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Study: One-fifth of AED failures traced to battery, power problems

Evidently more AEDs should be in powered and networked enclosures – not bare.

Survival Study

AED Use: Survival before EMS Study

Application of an AED in communities is associated with nearly a doubling of survival after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest.