Lifesaving defibrillators available across campus

by Joe King

When a student at the Student Recreation Center collapsed from a heart attack Jan. 30, it provided a stark demonstration of the state of campus emergency response capabilities.

And the news was good.

In an instant, all of the components of the system sprang into action and saved a life. From employees at the Rec to campus police to DeKalb paramedics to emergency room personnel, all performed their roles quickly, efficiently and successfully.

“This case provides a perfect example of how our community’s EMS system is supposed to work,” said DeKalb Fire Chief Lanny Russell. “The first responder provided vital immediate care, the paramedics continued that care and initiated advanced life-support measures and the hospital stabilized the patient until he could be transferred to a tertiary care center by helicopter.”

The incident also highlighted the value of efforts started six years ago on campus to equip emergency personnel with portable defibrillators and place the devices in key buildings across campus.

Twenty-eight units are now located across campus. They are in all police patrol cars, the Convocation Center, Huskie Stadium, all exercise facilities (including the Rec and Anderson Hall) and buildings that often draw large crowds, such as the Holmes Student Center.

A defibrillator is used about once a year on campus, and the units are credited with helping to save lives.

They’re prominently displayed in public areas, hanging on walls in protective boxes. Each box also contains a telephone so that emergency personnel can be summoned before treatment even begins.

The defibrillators are designed to be simple enough that just about anyone can use them, said Michele Crase, associate director of Environmental Health and Safety.

“Not only does the device have pictures that clearly explain its use, it also plays a recording that walks you through step-by-step,” she said.

Even so, Crase is careful to point out that the “Good Samaritan” law in Illinois protects people from being sued only in instances in which they are trained to take the life-saving steps they attempt. Consequently, people who expect that they might need to use a defibrillator should receive training.

Environmental Health and Safety offers frequent training sessions that cover not only use of the devices, but also CPR and some other basic first aid. Those who complete the three-hour course, which is taught free of charge, are certified for two years.

Anyone interested in taking such a course, or arranging for members of their department to participate in the course, can call Crase at (815) 753-9251.

“The more people we have trained in the proper use of the defibrillators and CPR,” Crase said, “the more often we will be able to save lives in situations like the one on Jan. 30.”

2-12-07