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Activists across the country are prepared to save lives in their communities by providing greater access to user-friendly defibrillators.
We congratulate the "can-do" congregation of St. Thomas More, a moderate-sized faith community in Oceanside, California, where more than 100 parishioners have been certified in adult CPR and instructed on the use of AEDs. Classes are offered almost every week, including refresher courses for those needing to update their skills. Dr. Philip Goscienski spearheaded the campaign to purchase an AED, then guided the church's volunteers through CPR-AED training.
Hats off also to the staff at Milwaukee Children's Hospital of Wisconsin, which promotes the use of defibrillators in schools. Project ADAM (Automatic Defibrillators in Adam's Memory) helps Wisconsin schools purchase AEDs, establish training, and maintain the equipment. The program is named after Adam Lemel, a high-school athlete who died of sudden cardiac arrest after collapsing during a basketball game. Last year, Senator Russ Feingold introduced the ADAM Act, which would provide funding to set up defibrillation programs across the country. As we go to press, the Senate has approved this legislation, and the House of Representatives is poised to act soon.
The ultimate goal of the Neighborhood Heart Watch is to save lives. Do you live in a heart-safe community? Call your local police and fire departments and inquire whether they have AEDs on their emergency response vehicles. Find out if AEDs are easily accessible to everyone in public places, such as city hall, the courthouse, parks, recreation and fitness facilities, stadiums, and schools.
We would like to hear from our readers who successfully work to place AEDs in their communities. We will feature your stories in future issues of this newsletter and on the Medical Update Web site.
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