The Barrington Fire Department willingly provides numerous services
for our community. Among the most popular of services offered to
the public is Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation or CPR. Currently the
Barrington Fire Dept. has qualified & skilled instructors that
schedule classes according to the communities needs. The classes
that we offer are:
1. Healthcare provider w/AED
2. Heartsaver CPR w/AED
3. Heartsaver CPR
4. CPR for Family & Friends
The cost for the above classes are per student:
Residents of the Village and Fire District $20.00
Non-residents $35.00
Re-certification (all) $10.00
If you or someone you might know would be interested in participating
in one of these classes you may contact us via phone or e-mail.
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| How can I enroll in a CPR or
AED class? |
| The Barrington Fire Department offers CPR and
AED training during each Month. To register for a class, call (847)
304-3600 Monday - Friday between 8:30 A.M. and 4:30 P.M. |
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| What does AED stand for? |
| AED stands for automated external defibrillator
(or automated external defibrillation). |
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| What's an AED? |
| An AED is a device used to administer an electric
shock through the chest wall to the heart. Built-in computers assess
the patient's heart rhythm, judge whether defibrillation is needed,
and then administer the shock. Audible and/or visual prompts guide
the user through the process. |
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| How does an AED work? |
| A microprocessor inside the defibrillator interprets
(analyzes) the victim's heart rhythm through adhesive electrodes
(some AED models require you to press an ANALYZE button). The computer
analyzes the heart rhythm and advises the operator whether a shock
is needed. AEDs advise a shock only to ventricular fibrillation and
fast ventricular tachycardia. The electric current is delivered through
the victim's chest wall through adhesive electrode pads. |
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| Why are AEDs important? |
| AEDs are important because they strengthen the
Chain of Survival. They can restore a normal heart rhythm in victims
of sudden cardiac arrest. New, portable AEDs enable more people to
respond to a medical emergency that requires defibrillation. When
a person suffers a sudden cardiac arrest, their chance of survival
decreases by 7% to 10% for each minute that passes without defibrillation.
AEDs save lives! |
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| Who can use an AED? |
| Most AEDs are designed to be used by nonmedical
personnel such as police, firefighters, flight attendants, security
guards, and other lay rescuers who have been properly trained. Having
more people in the community who can respond to a medical emergency
by providing defibrillation will greatly increase sudden cardiac
arrest survival rates. |
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| Why does someone having a heart
attack need an AED? |
| When a heart attack becomes a full cardiac arrest,
the heart most often goes into uncoordinated electrical activity
called fibrillation. The heart twitches ineffectively and can't pump
blood. The AED delivers electric current to the heart muscle, momentarily
stunning the heart, stopping all activity. This gives the heart an
opportunity to resume beating effectively. |
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| Will an AED always resuscitate
someone in cardiac arrest? |
| The AED treats only a heart in ventricular fibrillation
(VF), an irregular heart rhythm. In cardiac arrest without VF, the
heart doesn't respond to electric currents but needs medications.
The victim needs breathing support. AEDs are less successful when
the victim has been in cardiac arrest for more than a few minutes,
especially if no CPR was provided. |
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| Is an AED safe to use? |
An AED is safe to use by anyone who's been trained
to operate it. Studies have shown the devices to be 90% sensitive
(able 90% of the time to detect a rhythm that should be defibrillated)
and 99% specific (able 99% of the time to recommend not shocking
when defibrillation is not indicated). Because of the wide variety
of situations in which it will typically be used, the AED is designed
with multiple safeguards and warnings before any energy is released.
The AED is programmed to deliver a shock only when it has detected
VF. However, potential dangers are associated with AED use. That's
why training - including safety and maintenance - is important.
The AHA recommends that persons who live or work where an AED is
available for use by lay rescuers participate in a Heartsaver AED
Course. AEDs are so user-friendly that untrained rescuers can generally
succeed in attaching the pads, pressing ANALYZE (if required), and
delivering shocks. However, untrained rescuers may not know when
to use an AED, and they may not use an AED safely, posing some danger
of electric shock to themselves and others. Also, untrained rescuers
probably would not know how to respond to the victim if the AED prompts "no
shock indicated." An operator needs only to follow the illustrations
on the electrode pads and the control panel and listen and follow
the voice prompts (for example, "Do not touch the patient.").
An AED will deliver a shock only when a shock is advised and the
operator pushes the SHOCK button. This prevents a shock from being
delivered accidentally.
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| Are AEDs safe to use on children? |
| An AED should not be used on a child younger than
8 years old or weighing less than about 55 pounds. |
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| Will I get zapped if I shock
a victim in the rain or near water? |
| It's remotely possible to get shocked or to shock
bystanders if water is standing near or underneath the patient. Try
to move the patient to a dry area and cut off wet clothing. Also
be sure that the skin has been toweled dry so the electrode pads
will stick to the skin. At the moment you press the SHOCK button,
you must make sure that no one, including yourself (the AED operator),
touches any part of the victim. |
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| Can an AED make mistakes? |
| An AED will almost never decide to shock an adult
victim when the victim is in non-VF. AEDs "miss" fine VF
only about 5% of the time. The internal computer uses complex analysis
algorithms to determine whether to shock. If the operator has attached
the AED to an adult victim who's not breathing and pulseless (in
cardiac arrest), the AED will make the correct "shock" decision
more than 95 of 100 times and a correct "no shock indicated" decision
more than 98 of 100 times. This level of accuracy is greater than
the accuracy of emergency professionals. |
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| Why do you stop CPR as the electrode
pads are placed and analysis occurs? |
| For the AED to analyze accurately, the victim
must be motionless. Sometimes there will be an agonal respiration
(a gasping breath that can occur when the heart is stopped) that
causes some movement. AEDs can recognize this extra motion and indicate "motion
detected" to the operator. This warns the operator to assess
carefully for extra movements from the victim or other people at
the scene. |
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| Why should a lay rescuer continue
CPR after the arrival of emergency medical services (EMS) professionals? |
| It's helpful to EMS professionals to be able to
set up their equipment, including the defibrillator, while lay rescuers
continue CPR. The EMTs will take over CPR and reconfirm that the
victim is in cardiac arrest. |
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| Why does it seem that the victim
goes without CPR for so long during defibrillation, and why does
an AED shock so many times? |
| After prescribed periods of CPR, the machine analyzes
the victim's rhythm. The victim must remain motionless while the
AED decides to shock and delivers the shock. Sometimes the victim
doesn't change from VF to non-VF at once. These victims require multiple
shocks. If repeated shocks are needed, the shocks are "stacked" in
sets of three to increase their effectiveness. |
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| Besides using an AED, how else
might a lay rescuer help at the scene of a sudden cardiac arrest? |
| Lay rescuers are most often asked to call 911
and get the AED. The lay rescuer can assemble the pocket face mask
and begin providing mouth-to-mask ventilations. Responders might
provide CPR or continue defibrillation if a workplace defibrillator
is used. Support and direction to bystanders, friends, and family
are appropriate. When EMS personnel arrive, the lay rescuer can provide
directions and help get information about the patient. |
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| What actions should a CPR responder
take after using an AED on a person in cardiac arrest? |
There should be some type of debriefing for EMS
personnel or lay rescuers involved in a resuscitation attempt. Also,
the voice-rhythm-shock record should be collected from the AED's
event documentation system. The AHA strongly recommends that AEDs
used in a public access or home-responder setting have both rhythm
and voice event documentation. AEDs can record and store (as a minimum)
the following information:
· Patient rhythm throughout the resuscitation.
· Response of the AED (shock versus no shock; shockable rhythm versus
nonshockable rhythm).
· Event and interval timing.
· Audio recording of the voices and actions recorded at the scene of
a cardiac arrest. |
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| What's public access to defibrillation? |
| Public access to defibrillation (PAD) means making
AEDs available in public and/or private places where large numbers
of people gather or people who are at high risk for heart attacks
live. |
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| What's the AHA position on placement
of AEDs? |
The AHA strongly advocates that all EMS first-response
vehicles and ambulances be equipped with an AED or another defibrillation
device (semiautomatic or manual defibrillator). The AHA also supports
placing AEDs in targeted public areas such as sports arenas, gated
communities, office complexes, doctor's offices, shopping malls,
etc. When AEDs are placed in a community, the AHA strongly encourages
that they be part of a defibrillation program in which
· Persons or entities that acquire an AED notify the local EMS office.
· A licensed physician or medical authority provides medical oversight
to ensure quality control.
· Persons responsible for using the AED are trained in CPR and how
to use an AED. |
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| Why is notifying the local EMS
office important? |
| It's important for the local EMS system to know
where AEDs are located in the community. In the event of a sudden
cardiac arrest emergency, the 911 dispatcher will know if an AED
is on the premises and will be able to notify the EMS system as well
as the responders already on the scene. |
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| Why should a licensed physician
or medical authority be involved with purchasers of AEDs? |
| This is a quality control mechanism. The licensed
physician or medical authority will ensure that all designated responders
are properly trained and that the AED is properly maintained. |
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| Why should people who are responsible
for operating an AED receive CPR training? |
| Early CPR is an integral part of providing lifesaving
aid to people suffering sudden cardiac arrest. The ventilation and
compression skills learned in a CPR class help to circulate oxygen-rich
blood to the brain. After delivering a series of three electric shocks,
the typical AED will prompt the operator to continue CPR while the
device continues to analyze the patient. |
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| If AEDs are so easy to use,
why do people need formal training in how to use them? |
| An AED operator must know how to recognize the
signs of a sudden cardiac arrest, when to activate the EMS system,
and how to do CPR. It's also important for operators to receive formal
training on the AED model they will use so that they become familiar
with the device and are able to successfully operate it in an emergency.
Training also teaches the operator how to avoid potentially hazardous
situations. |
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| Can anyone buy an AED? |
| AEDs are manufactured and sold under guidelines
approved by the Food and Drug Administration. Current FDA rules require
someone who purchases an AED to present a physician's prescription
for the device. |
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| My health club has identified
a member physician willing to purchase an AED for the club. What's
the first step in the process? |
| Your local EMS system can help you find out about
local and state protocols and requirements for AED training and use. |
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| The police are the first responders
in my community. Officials are reluctant to have them carry and use
AEDs for fear of potential litigation. What legislation is currently
in effect to protect first responders who use an AED? |
| If the person is a trained and licensed medical
first responder (MFR), an established standard of care is outlined
in the law, and those operating within these guidelines are protected
under these laws. These same guidelines pertain to the personnel
in your EMS system. If they are not trained and licensed MFRs, check
the state laws to determine if lay rescuers are given limited liability
immunity. If not, they may not be protected from litigation. Agencies
should seek legal counsel before implementing a defibrillation program. |
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| How much does an AED cost? |
| The price of an AED varies by make and model.
Most AEDs cost around $3000. |
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| What steps should an organization
take to buy an AED for its premises? |
Any person or entity wanting to buy an AED must
first get a prescription from a physician. The AED should be placed
in use within a defibrillation program that includes these elements:
· Training of all users in CPR and operation of an AED (AHA Heartsaver
AED Course).
· Physician oversight to ensure appropriate maintenance and use of
the AED.
· Notification of local EMS of type and location of AED. |
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