CPR/AED training for AEDC's work force saves lives

  • Published
  • By Philip Lorenz III
  • AEDC/PA
ARNOLD AIR FORCE BASE, Tenn. --  February is American Heart Month and according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States.

The CDC encourages people to take preventative measures like maintaining a healthy diet low in fat and cholesterol, getting regular exercise and to avoid or quit smoking.

Even when people follow the best cardiac healthcare advice, they may not be aware of an existing medical condition or a situational risk that threatens their lives.

"A cardiac event can happen at any place, any time and to any age group," said Wade Campbell, AEDC's Emergency Medical Services (EMS)/Safety Officer. "More people trained in CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) means quicker access to lifesaving intervention and a better chance of surviving the event. Add an AED (automated external defibrillator) and the possibility of surviving the event increases even more."

Tony Rollins, ATA's public access defibrillators (PAD) program manager, is the primary CPR/AED instructor for the general work force.

Safety had been his professional focus since he served in the Army National Guard and throughout his 20 years at AEDC. Rollins said knowing how to apply CPR properly is a skill that can have a wide impact.

"It's not just important at AEDC," he said. "It's important training you can carry anywhere you go, whether you're at the mall, at church, whether you're in the public library, a ball game or wherever. You have that ability to help someone who may not receive help if no one knew the process."

Rollins said the goal at AEDC is to have at least five people per facility CPR/AED trained and certified. He said one of the most convincing testimonials on the value of this training came from someone at AEDC.

On Feb. 11, 2010, Michael Bunch, an ATA instrument technician at AEDC's Aerodynamic and Propulsion Test Unit (APTU) passed out due to a heart attack while working at a calibration bench at the Precision Measurement Equipment Laboratory (PMEL).

The quick actions of Gary Fergus, Dale West, Brad Pearson, others at PMEL and Jessica McNeese, a CORE nurse practitioner at the base dispensary, saved Bunch's life. Less than a month later, he was able to return to work.

Bunch was fortunate that Emily Crosier, an x-ray technician at the dispensary, and backup CPR instructor, and Jimmy Phillips, AEDC fire department crew chief, Tim Mansfield, base paramedic/crew chief and L. E. Brown, EMT/firefighter, were also on hand that day.

"The folks at PMEL set-up the successful resuscitation by recognizing the problem quickly and starting CPR," Campbell said. "Fire department personnel responded, defibrillated and started transport. McNeese and Crosier were picked-up at the dispensary to help maintain intravenous access and assist with drug administration during transport."

Bunch said of the experience, "[It's] hard to describe. As my wife Tracy says, I died. My coworkers helped bring me back. I'm very thankful they were able to do what was needed so I could stay around a while longer."

Bunch, who has also had CPR/AED training, is ready to help others.

"I believe the quality of the training was great," he said. "When I finished, I felt prepared to render effective CPR to help someone and that I could use the AED to help that individual survive until professional help arrived.

The training at AEDC is voluntary and Bunch encourages others to get trained and certified.

"My cardiac event happened to occur at PMEL, where everyone is required to be CPR-qualified and where there are usually several people nearby," he said. "What if I'd been somewhere with only one or two qualified people in the facility and for some reason they didn't happen to be around at the time? What if I had been out in town or out on the road? You would have to hope that someone nearby knows what to do. Things could have turned out very differently. I feel it would be better for all of us if everyone was CPR-qualified."

Rollins said there is another reason to stay current on CPR/AED training and certification.

"It has tremendously changed since the mid to late 1970s," he said, noting how the ratio of breaths to chest compressions has changed and continues to evolve.

Dale West, the PMEL supervisor, said when encountering the unexpected, being proactive is paramount.

"Be prepared," he said. "When an emergency situation presents itself, we must take action. There is no time to prepare ourselves for action after the emergency occurs.

"The CPR/AED training on base is excellent and provides an opportunity for all employees to prepare themselves for emergencies both on and off the job."

Having the opportunity to put his emergency response training to use was an invaluable lesson for Brad Pearson, an ATA senior instrument technician at PMEL.

"The experience showed me firsthand how important CPR/AED training is and that it can help save lives," he said. "CPR administered correctly can restore partial blood flow to someone during those critical minutes until medical help arrives.

"If this event happened years earlier the outcome could have been different."

McNeese emphasized how critical reaction time is for a cardiac event.

"The American Heart Association identifies five links for the 'chain of survival' when someone experiences sudden cardiac arrest," she said. "First is early recognition of the emergency and activation of 911. Secondly, follow up with early bystander CPR initiation. Third is early delivery of shock (AED use if available), fourth is early advanced life support and fifth, coordinated care afterwards. The average person with basic training can initiate the first three steps of this chain and chance of survival has been reported from 49 up to 74 percent with a witnessed cardiac arrest."

Check with your supervisor to find out more about CPR/AED training.