RSSAEDS offer a kick-start to heart -- if you can find one
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YAKIMA, Wash. -- As customers and employees frantically worked to save Ellen Davis' life when she collapsed while Christmas shopping, several repeatedly asked for an automated external defibrillator.
Walmart didn't have one. Few stores do.
Davis, 69, was lucky. She has since fully recovered, but a defibrillator probably would have helped that day, according to Yakima deputy fire marshal Ron Melcher.
Melcher and others want Washington stores to consider keeping handy the portable heart shockers used to revive an arrested heart.
"The amount of people inside your store can be staggering at times, so I suggest it is only a matter of time before the next incident of this type," Melcher wrote in a letter to Walmart managers.
Automated external defibrillators, or AEDs, are becoming more common.They hang on the walls of senior centers, fitness clubs and schools. Some factories and warehouses keep them.
Many police officers and sheriff's deputies carry them in their patrol cars. In 2007, the Yakima Fire Department used a $10,000 donation to place eight in town, including the Union Gospel Mission and the SunDome.
Advocates say the devices dramatically boost chances of survival. Generally, those administered a shock within one minute of a heart attack have a save rate of 90 percent, according to the Yakima Fire Department.
The American Heart Association Web site says 34 percent of all heart attack victims die. However, more than half who receive defibrillation, along with CPR, within the first three to five minutes after collapse live. Studies of AEDs in Chicago's airports and Las Vegas casinos have shown survival rates up to 70 percent.
Stores in Washington, however, have been slow to pick up on the trend.
Walmart stores don't have AEDs, managers told Melcher. Several messages with corporate spokesmen and spokeswomen were not returned.
Target stores don't have them where they aren't required, said Jessica Carlson, a corporate spokeswoman in Minnesota. And they're not, in Washington.
Fred Meyer doesn't have them. Neither does Costco in Union Gap.
Ironically, some of these stores sell AEDs.
"I wish I could say that that was an exception," said Dan Mohrbacher, president of AED Advocates, a Yakima nonprofit company that lobbies for more public access defibrillators and also sells them.
It's a different story in Oregon.
Starting this month, a new law requires "places of public assembly," including shopping centers and stores, to provide AEDs and train employees to use them.
Fred Meyer stores spent about $100,000 complying with the law in its 50 Oregon stores, said Melinda Merrill, a company spokeswoman in Portland.
"Well worth it, though," she said.
She said the company supports the law, mostly because it includes a good Samaritan clause specific to AED use that protects those who use one from liability if something goes wrong. Washington has existing good Samaritan laws but nothing specific to defibrillator use.
So far, Washington lawmakers have not tried to impose the same requirement, said Rep. Charles Ross, R-Naches, a member of the House public safety and emergency preparedness committee.
Ross said he'd probably oppose such a move even if it sounds like a good idea on the surface.
"I'm pretty hesitant on mandating things on business in the best of situations," he said. The current patchy economy makes it even worse.
He also would hate to stick businesses with liability if something goes wrong.
In 2005, the Lodi Unified School District in California was sued after a teacher tried using an AED to revive a student; it didn't work because the batteries had worn out. The student suffered brain damage, the family alleged. The suit was settled out of court.
However, AED proponents say liability concerns are overblown.
They say the devices are all but foolproof, allowing even untrained rescuers to use them. Recorded voice prompts give loud, clear instructions about how to place the paddles, when to shock and when to perform CPR.
The paddles detect erratic heart conditions -- called fibrillations -- that are most likely to respond to an electric shock. If the paddles don't detect the right condition, they will not shock.
"As long as you follow those guidelines, you're going to be fine," Melcher said.
Nearly anything you do is better than nothing, he added.
AEDs are common in industrial workplaces.
John I. Haas Inc., a Yakima hops processing and farming business, has nine AEDs in its Yakima Valley operations, which include a CO2 plant on 16th Avenue, a hop pellet plant on Gordon Road, a corporate office on First Avenue and two farms. The company has 160 to 300 employees, depending on the time of year.
"We hope we never use them," said Bob Mondor, safety coordinator for John I. Haas.
Washington Beef in Toppenish did use an AED. It saved the life of Glenn Powers, the cooler supervisor in Toppenish.
It was about 3:30 p.m. on Jan. 2, 2009. Powers, a Selah grandfather of seven, was discussing the next day's schedule with his boss when he blacked out while having a heart attack and collapsed. His boss, Kevin Lawson, and other co-workers performed CPR until the plant's contracted medical administrator showed up with the plant's AED.
The second shock resuscitated his heart.
Powers, now 60, took a few months off for therapy but has since returned to work full time and said he has no ill effects, other than getting tired a little quicker than previously.
The company has since purchased three more AEDs and keeps 40 of its 800 employees trained to use them.
"Had we not had the AED on site ... the outcome with Glenn probably would have been tragically different," said Brad McDowell, president of AB Foods, the parent company of Washington Beef.
* Ross Courtney can be reached at 509-930-8798 or rcourtney@yakimaherald.com.
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intergalactic-hussy,
How do you turn something like this into being about animal right's? I bet you're one of those people that would throw a child in front of a car to save a dog, aren't you? We're talking about saving people's lives here, and you're moaning about a bunch of cows.
I bet you wouldn't be claiming they were so intelligent if you were having a heart attack and needed a cow to use an AED on you. See, I can be daft too...
Seriously though, this doesn't need to be made into some political issue.
AEDs are an amazing tool, but not foolproof. For instance, if a man has a hairy chest it is possible the AED won't even work... Another thought: following directions under stress is sometimes difficult or even impossible. I am trained in using an AED, but I don't ever want to have to use it.
Report ViolationAnd what about the liability issues that could arise?
Report ViolationGraciou
I don't think you should go around getting everybody kicked off. It may be a power trip for you, but other people would like to hear all opinions. I hope you don't try to get me kicked off-but you do seem to have an ego problem.
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Most of these comments have nothing to do with this story!!!! Hello.... please stay on topic
Report Violation(This comment has been removed by a Yakima Herald-Republic moderator)
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"...Ross said "I'm pretty hesitant on mandating things on business in the best of situations," He also would hate to stick businesses with liability if something goes wrong. Washington has existing good Samaritan laws but nothing specific to defibrillator use..." So Ross, step up and get the laws changed.
Yes these republicans are hesitant to cost business any money. Wouldn't it be great if businesses would just step up to the plate, without being mandated to, and do the right thing? But, remember this is a capitalist country. Anything and everything for a dollar. Big business forgets that "In God We Trust" is printed on our money.
..."Had we not had the AED on site ... the outcome with Glenn probably would have been tragically different," said Brad McDowell, president of AB Foods, the parent company of Washington Beef."
How much is a persons life worth? Thank you Washington Beef for having the where with all to have this device.
Is anyone else starting to think somebody's getting a kick back?
Report ViolationGracious,
Hey, there are plenty of people in this valley who make everything about Jesus, so I can make a lot of things about animal rights...by the way, we are animals as well, specifically primates, whom I passionately defend, even the ones who think they are too special to be called primates.
And murder is wrong dear, whether or not the victim is "intelligent" enough to fight for their life. Perhaps to someone on Rigel-7, you or I don't live up to their standard of intelligence. To Kodos or Zaxon, you might be merely a nice-looking porterhouse.
My original point (I don't remember anything that should have been taken as offensive enough to have been removed!) was that instead of installing a fibrillator, wouldn't it be less roundabout not to consume the unhealthy "foods" that Washington Beef produces, thus avoiding some of these heart attacks.
Report ViolationYour original post read similar to...
"...the Murder Factory ( Washington Beef ) needs defibrillator so that Americans can stuff their craws with fatty food--thus requiring the use of AEDS."
Basically you were trying to be clever and imply that this is somehow a cyclical problem, and that eating fatty foods is the only source of heart disease or issues. Kind of obvious you were just trying to spin a political issue out of it.
Our views differ, and I don't want to get into a debate about animal right's. I don't think they have any, you think they have the same rights as people.
My point was that these AEDs have nothing to do with animal rights. I mean, the idea that the only source of heart attacks is eating meat is just completely ridiculous. I mean, that's like some Christian coming on here and saying, "AEDs are preventing god from taking his children when he wishes!" There's just as much wrong with that.
sunnymom,
Better be careful or you're next!
Seriously though, do you think I really have the power or desire to simply remove the posts of people I don't agree with? The moderating staff decided to remove her post, not me. I actually discuss my views, not go around accusing people of having multiple accounts or working for the CIA or something.
Niick,
Yeah I've got the feeling there are multiple people using the comments section because there's always someone that you've barely read two posts from, talking about "illegal youth centers" or other issues in the same mannerisms as someone else was a day or two earlier.
Gracious
Let's try to stick to the subject--you go off on this CIA thing, and, while granted it's more interesting than what you usually come up with, I don't see the point. And I think Niick was referring to you, not to hurt your feelings or anything. It does seem like you're some sort of expert on this defilbrator--maybe you should stay there.
BTW
Are you sure "hussy" isn't another one of your personalities? You know, so you can turn into the righteous spinster and do that bit until we get as tired of you as we do Ogre, who by the way is the one talking about the CIA-she keeps babbling about them.
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theoverseer,
Yes, I realize Niick is talking about me.
I don't know exactly when people started thinking that I had multiple accounts, or that I was getting people kicked off of the comments section.
I simply state my opinions, articulately, and concisely, and I respond to peoples' rebuttals. I suppose this has made me enough of an unpopular person amongst so many that they will stoop to accuse me of caring enough to make multiple accounts and who knows what else--honestly I don't really pay much attention to that, I simply respond in hopes that they will elaborate further on "illegal youth centers", "experimental daycares" and now the new business with the CIA. Yet, all I ever get in return is accusations and further digressions. I suppose in hindsight, I should just start reporting their idiocies and lunacies to the YHR and keep myself uninvolved instead of giving them a crutch to stand on.
Secondly, I'm not sure what you mean... I don't know what it is about the CIA people are alleging, but I was alluding to all of the discussion that insider007 and others have done in that light. The posts have now been removed by the YHR.
Thirdly, I was pointing out that intergalactic-hussy was trying to make a political issue out of something, and that she was in fact off topic. I suppose I should have let the YHR staff deal with that though aswell, since now that her post was removed, it seems as if I disagreed with it so much that I went out of my way to get it removed.
I have reported posts that suggest that I'm some kind of dupster on multiple accounts, such as ones from insider007, though. Just thought that it was fair to mention that I don't approve of slander and I do kind of take it personally that people think I would create many different accounts. I don't need to resort to such tactics to support my views.
I find it kind of ironic that people will accuse me of having an agenda, multiple accounts and some kind of ego for using this section for its intended purpose--commentary. Then on the other hand, a new member will come on, and talk about something as deranged as "illegal youth centers", a topic so obscure that only a handful of other people here have mentioned it before, and they are completely nonsuspect? To some extent I feel the people making the allegations that I have multiple accounts, are indeed the people making all of these extra accounts in the first place.
You have no reason to take my word for it, but I don't really care. I'll continue to comment on things as I see it, and if people perceive some kind of agenda behind that, that is their issue.
I started off this discussion wondering why anyone would try to persuade us to believe AEDs were perpetuating some gross violation of animal right's, and to assert that I felt intergalactic-hussy was putting some political spin on it to benefit his/her own views on an entirely different matter.
If you really think that I have the time, energy or desire to write responses like this, and then go out and register other names with completely different ideologies and writing styles... Then that actually upsets me, because I do take out some time to think out these posts and to interact with the people of Yakima. To have my efforts be paid back with wild allegations of egotism and deception bothers me, so I can't help but respond to defend myself to some extent. I suppose I will just rely on the "Report Violation" button from now on, though.
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Welcome back Nick...its been a while since you have graced us with your knowledge. Missed reading your comments/blogs.
Report ViolationBy the time I read the hateful comments section I had completely forgotten what the article was about in the first place.
I agree that a comment should be relevant to the article but I recognize that often times it isn't and a whole new topic comes to light. That is the give and take of the comments and it will never change. I beleive that the defination of comment is somewhat different than commentary however. To provide commentary, I would think one would want to have his/her letter published by the paper so that everyone can comment.
To Gracious and anyone else confused by some of the bizarre comments of late:
The comments left by: "wimpi", "concernddad", "insider007", "REVELATORY", "YakamaCritic", "theoverseer", "thefinalword", "sunnymom", "GloryBe", "BigDavey", "mom888", (and probably others I have missed) are all being made by the same person--the best thing we can do is ignore any comments of this nature and hope this person gets the help they need.
believe
That's a dumb thing tosay-peoplein Yakima don't need to be told what to believe, and the ones you mentioned are even on this page, you have way to much time on your hands-and this is just a fluff article-what are you talking about?
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