Defibrillator project moves forward
Larry Pontbriant |
Imagine if every school had one or more automated external defibrillators (AEDs), and people trained to use them. Or if every athletic event - on and off school grounds - had an AED in plain view, ready to be deployed if a student experienced heart problems. If every student athlete received screening to detect signs of cardiac trouble. And if legislation - in the state and nationally - set standards for AED use, and had laws to protect "Good Samaritans" who use these life-saving devices.
Imagine a region so motivated to spread the word about defibrillators that events would raise funds to place them wherever needed, and residents - from students to senior citizens - knew how to respond in a medical emergency.
To a growing group of community members, those aren't idle dreams. Motivated by the activism of Lawrence and Evelyn Pontbriant - whose 15-year-old son Larry died following cardiac arrest at Mohegan Park in Norwich on Aug. 16 - stakeholders from various organizations have created task forces to make AEDs widely available, and screenings accessible for young athletes.
Following their second meeting at Backus Hospital on Oct. 15, Mr. and Mrs. Pontbriant and officials including State Sen. Edith Prague and representatives from U.S. Rep. Joe Courtney's office, schools, United Community and Family Services, Backus, the American Heart Association, American Ambulance, Norwich city government and others formed four task forces:
Awareness and fundraising: This group will educate the community about the appropriate use of AEDs and raise money needed to purchase them. The Larry Pontbriant Athletic Safety Fund, administered by the Tri-County Community Foundation, has already raised $26,000 to purchase AEDs. Backus Hospital has pledged to match up to 10 defibrillators purchased through the fund. This task force envisions an annual fund-raising event to continue replenishing the fund.
Training and deployment: This group plans to prioritize where AEDs need to be placed first, and how to arrange for appropriate training. Participants plan to create a list of fixed locations for AEDs and develop a pool of traveling AEDs for "away" events.
Legislation and Advocacy: This task force will focus on state legislation that will mandate AEDs in strategic locations, and review the state's so-called "Good Samaritan" law that limits liability for individuals who attempt to save lives. This group will seek support at public hearings, and work with representatives in Hartford and Washington, D.C., to bring awareness to legislation for AEDs.
Screening and Health Issues: This group is already examining how to provide free, voluntary electrocardiogram (ECG) screenings for student athletes to detect potential heart problems. Raising public awareness about cardiac issues is also part of their mission.
"A coordinated response that includes community education and awareness, training on AED use and CPR, and front-end pre-screening of athletes to detect potential cardiac issues will create a more lasting and effective program," said David Whitehead, Vice President for Planning at Backus.
Each task force seeks interested individuals to help them achieve their goals. If you are interested, or simply would like more information, please contact Keith Fontaine, Vice President, Corporate Communications at Backus Hospital, at kfontaine@wwbh.org or 823-6539.
Contributions may be sent to the Larry Pontbriant Athletic Safety Fund, c/o Community Foundation of the Tri-County Area Inc., P.O. Box 303, Norwich, CT 06360. For more information about the fund, please call Karen Hoke, Executive Director of the foundation, at 423-4373.