Defibrillator Purchased To Speed Emergency Response

Jeff Treu, Art Griffith and Bryan Cornett

Minutes save lives, and the Village of Oakdale and Oakdale Volunteer Fire Department are hoping they’re in a better situation to do just that thanks to a recent purchase.

The Oakdale village council, fire department and rural fire board approved the purchase of an AED defibrillator last month and now have it in place at the fire department, should it be needed.

“It’s right across from the city offices and from the community center,” said Jeff Treu, member of the Oakdale Fire Department and Tilden Rescue. “It’s accessible, as it should be in a rural community.”

Treu, who works for Lifeguard MD, said he was approached about having one in Oakdale because time is of the essence in an emergency situation.

“Ten miles is a long distance when somebody has a heart attack,” Treu said. “This machine is going to save lives.”

Treu said the defibrillator was unanimously approved by the village council, which split the cost three ways with the fire department and rural fire board. The cost of the machine - $1,800 - was a key factor since the price has dropped by thousands of dollars in recent years, Treu said.

But most importantly, he said, is the ease of use because training really isn't necessary. It's equipped with all of the instruction needed for a first-time user in an emergency.

“It’s amazing how easy these are to use. Even my 4 1/2-year-old granddaughter used it correctly on a dummy,” Treu said. “It has audio instructions and pictures. It’s easy to use and can be used on any surface, even metal, or if you just pull someone out of the pool. They don't have to be dry.”

Treu said larger models are available for ambulance units that send heart monitor data directly to the hospital the STEMI heart attack patient is being transported to in order to enhance emergency medical response.

Applications are now being accepted for the Lifeline EMS Equipment Grant for these machines. To ensure the grants go to smaller communities, services with physical addresses in the counties of Cass, Douglas, Sarpy, Saunders, Washington, Lancaster and Seward are not eligible to apply. 

In order to qualify, the service must receive at least 100 calls per year and must apply by August 31, 2014. Click for grant information.

“A lot of area communities are applying for these grants,” Treu said. “Tilden, Elgin, Neligh and lots of others. This is a great tool to save lives. Defibrillators like we put in Oakdale aren't that expense and should be installed in every police unit, too. After all, they are generally first on the scene and could potentially save a life."

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