News Releases

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
9/22/2016 12:00:00 AM EASTERN
Updated: 9/22/2016 10:34:53 AM EASTERN
For more information, contact Tammy Allison.
Mary Rutan Foundation Partners with City and County to Assist in Life Saving Efforts

Grant dollars totaling $10,000 were provided by Mary Rutan Foundation to the City of Bellefontaine and the Logan County Sheriff's Department for the purchase and replacement of Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) to be placed and used throughout Logan County should an individual experience sudden cardiac arrest.

Sudden cardiac arrest means the heart's pumping chambers suddenly stop contracting effectively. As a result, the heart can't pump blood. This can happen suddenly, without warning. Often it's due to heart disease, but there are other causes such as electrical shock or drowning.

Sudden cardiac arrest is a major cause of death in the United States. Each year, more than 350,000 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests occur in the United States. When a person has a cardiac arrest, survival depends on immediately getting CPR and early defibrillation from someone nearby.

Early defibrillation means having immediate access to a properly working automated external defibrillator (AED). this allows trained lay rescuers to give a potentially lifesaving electrical shock to the victims' heart during a cardiac arrest.

Early defibrillation is often called the critical link in the chain of survival, because it's the only way to successfully treat most sudden cardiac arrest. When cardiac arrest occurs, the heart starts to beat chaotically and can't pump blood efficiently. Time is critical. If a normal heart rhythm isn't restored in minutes, the person will die. In fact, for every minute without defibrillation, the odds of survival drop 7-10 percent. A sudden cardiac arrest victim who isn't defibrillated within 8-10 minutes has virtually no chance of survival. Right now only about 5 percent or less of sudden cardiac victims survive.

"Time is crucial during sudden cardiac arrest. The placement of these units to the various public areas along with emergency medical personnel and auxiliary vehicles has a great impact should the need arise in our community." "The instant availability and use of an AED will increase the possibility of saving lives." says Tammy Allison, Mary Rutan Foundation Chief Operating Officer. "Our community has seen firsthand the benefit of AEDs. In 2008, a grandmother of a Benjamin Logan High School student was saved after experiencing cardiac arrest at the conclusion of serving a team meal for her granddaughter's volleyball team. Had the AED and quick action of the school personnel and a community member not been in place the individual would have likely died. This investment is so much more than a donation. It is the value of a human life," said Mrs. Allison.

Through this grant and matching dollars from the City and County, new AEDs will be purchased and placed in the following locations; four AEDs in fire department vehicles, one to the Bellefontaine Joint Parks District to be kept at the Hoffman Swimming Pool and moved to various park facilities as needed during events, Bellefontaine City Building , Logan County Jail, Logan County JDC, Logan County Courthouse, Logan County Annex Building and the Logan County Commissioners and Prosecutors Building.

"The acquisition of these AED's has long been overdue," said Bellefontaine Fire Chief Andrew Fissel. "They will be placed in areas that see high concentrations of the community that are at a higher risk for sudden cardiac arrest. We greatly appreciate this gift. On behalf of the citizens of Bellefontaine and Logan County we thank Mary Rutan Foundation', said Chief Fissel.

Mary Rutan Hospital offers Heartsaver Courses for the general public, parents, teachers, coaches and the community at large. For further details or to register for the course contact Mary Rutan Hospital Education Department at (937) 592-4015 ext. 5602.

Over the past several years, through the collaborative efforts of Mary Rutan Foundation, area agencies, organizations and churches; AEDs have been placed at several locations throughout Logan County.

For further information regarding AEDs and their placement throughout Logan County contact Tammy Allison, Chief Operating Officer of Mary Rutan Hospital Foundation at (937) 599-7003. Monetary donations to assist with the purchase and maintenance of AED units throughout Logan County may be sent to the Mary Rutan Foundation, 205 E. Palmer Rd. Bellefontaine, OH 43311.