 Eagle County, Colorado, continues to make strides in the safety of its community.
On Valentine's Day, 55 employees were trained to use AEDs that have been strategically placed throughout the county with the help of Colorado's AED Authority.
"They are very simple to use – a first-grader could potentially take an AED out of the case, read the instructions and use it," said Eagle County's public health nurse, Anne Robinson. "If someone can use [the AED] in the first few moments after cardiac arrest, the victim has the greatest chance for survival."
Eagle County has long been aggressive on taking the safety of its community seriously. There are currently over 80 AEDs in Eagle County, most of which are located at recreational centers and high-trafficked areas.
"People can die of heart attacks at any time and an ambulance is usually about six to eight minutes away," said Christ Montera, Western Eagle County Ambulance Chief. "The first few minutes are critical. Several lives have been saved in the last two years because somebody was trained."
In the next three years, Eagle County hopes to outfit their community with an additional fifty AEDs. Members of Eagle County can even take an in-depth training course for free, compliments WECAD.
"The more people we can have trained, the more chances we have to save lives," Robinson said.
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