Village of Arcanum receives automated defibrillator units

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ARCANUM — Wayne Healthcare Foundation provided the Village of Arcanum with four Automated External Defibrillator (AED) units on Thursday. The village will receive three more such units by the end of the year.

The AED is a portable device that checks heart rhythm, and can send an electric shock to the heart in order to restore normal rhythm in a person suffering from cardiac arrest. The units are designed to assist in emergencies in the event that first responders are not immediately available.

The four current units are located in the Arcanum City Building, the ballpark, at the community swimming pool, and in the village’s new fire truck. Future units will be installed at the town’s utility plant, as well as in their utility truck and police cruiser.

“Having one in the city building was a big deal,” said Village Administrator BIll Kessler. “We have a lot of members of the public who come through here.”

Midmark Corporation covered most of the cost of the AED units, according to Kessler, while Spirit Medical Transport has offered to provide free training in how to operate the units for any and all village employees.

“Midmark and Spirit really were responsible for Wayne Foundation being able to donate these units,” Kessler said.

The Wayne Foundation partnership has provided over 50 AED units to non-profit groups throughout the county, including churches, community centers, and municipal organizations, according to Lauren Henry, the foundation’s director. In particular, the Darke County Courthouse and New Madison Fire Department have previously benefitted from the program. Wayne receives funds from Midmark, Spirit, and the Rotary Club of Greenville in order to fund the initiative.

“The quicker care is provided in an emergency involving the heart, the better,” Henry said. Henry also pointed out that heart-related issues continue to be the leading cause of death in the United States.

Brian Hathaway, president and CEO of Spirit Medical Transport, expressed similar sentiments.

“For every minute before a person suffering cardiac arrest is defibrillated, the odds of survival go down ten percent,” Hathaway said. “So the more AEDs are out there in the community, the better likelihood of survival for people in general.”

Hathaway spoke of the program’s success stories, including an incident at a local retirement community where a person suffering cardiac arrest was saved because the defibrillator was able to be used immediately.

“It used to be that the only places where you could find these units were in an ambulance, or maybe, as the years progressed, in the back of a police car,” Hathaway said. “Nowadays you can even go to the Wal-Marts and they have AEDs and are training people.”

Hathaway said that he and others at Spirit have enjoyed their partnership with Wayne HealthCare and Midmark.

“It’s just another way of giving back to the community that strongly supports us,” Hathaway said.

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From left to right: Bill Kessler, Arcanum Village Administrator; Bonnie Millard, Council President; Mitch Eiting, Midmark representative; Judith Foureman, Mayor; Lauren Henry, Wayne HealthCare Foundation; Brian Brown, Spirit Medical Transport; Kurt Troutwine, Arcanum Fire Chief; Bill Sinnes, Fred Troutwine and Lyle Bixler, Arcanum CIC.
https://www.dailyadvocate.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/web1_Arcanum-CIC-picture.jpgFrom left to right: Bill Kessler, Arcanum Village Administrator; Bonnie Millard, Council President; Mitch Eiting, Midmark representative; Judith Foureman, Mayor; Lauren Henry, Wayne HealthCare Foundation; Brian Brown, Spirit Medical Transport; Kurt Troutwine, Arcanum Fire Chief; Bill Sinnes, Fred Troutwine and Lyle Bixler, Arcanum CIC. Courtesy photo

By Tony Baker

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The writer may be reached at 937-569-4315. To join the conversation and get updates on Facebook, search Advocate360. For more features online, go to dailyadvocate.com

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