AEDs in all POA buildings

Hot Springs Village has AEDs in all POA buildings, all police units, all fire trucks and ambulances. The machines are easy to use and give instructions in a crisis. (Diane Upchurch photo)

As Hot Springs Village ages, it has many advantages over comparably sized communities. There are more ambulances, more experienced personnel - and AEDs onsite at all POA facilities.

The LifeNet EMS teams are more experienced. The Village is considered a plum assignment for seniority, and more experienced EMS teams are requesting assignment to the Village. Once here, they don't want to leave.

LifeNet director of operations in the Village, Ronnie Weaver, had high praise for the fitness center team that worked on Bill Gibbons and saved his life with the use of an automated external defibrillator, AED.

Weaver philosophized that Villagers don't always appreciate how lucky they are. The Village has more ambulances on call than other communi- ties of this size.

The experience level of the EMS teams is much higher than in comparable communities. AEDs are in all of the POA buildings, and staff is trained to operate the systems in an emergency.

There are AEDs at the DeSoto pools, the POA office, the Coronado Center, Ponce de Leon Center and the Coronado Fitness Center.

The POA started buying the machines in 2000/2001. Training is offered once a year to staff at each facility.

All fire trucks and police cars also have AEDs. There are about 20 units in the Village owned by the POA.

Also, some of the churches and private businesses have AEDs on premises.

An AED is used to correct a dangerously abnormal heart rhythm, usually ventricular fibrillation. The machine delivers brief, measured, electrical shocks to the heart muscle to restart the heart by depolarizing its electrical conduction system.

The purchase of the AEDs by the POA board was financed by assessment fees paid by Village residents.