Defibrillators
- Proposing legislation and lobbying for state-level and federal laws on defibrillators
- Working on municipal policies and procedures to support the purchase and maintenance of defibrillators
- Sponsoring local training programs in CPR/AED
Defibrillator Project
ATLANTIC HIGHLANDS FIRST AID & SAFETY SQUAD RECEIVES AED DONATION- 2015
The Atlantic Highlands First Aid & Safety Squad has received a generous grant of four new AEDs and a training unit from the John Taylor Babbitt Foundation.
The new units, along with two matching units purchased by the squad, have been placed into service and will immediately improve the care provided to residents of Atlantic Highlands and surrounding communities.
“Access to rapid defibrillation is critical to increasing the survival rates of sudden cardiac arrest,” said AHFAS Chief Jerry Pandolfo. “These new units donated by the John Taylor Babbitt Foundation replace equipment that was badly in need of updating. This donation places state-of-the art, life saving AEDs in the hands of our members.”
The John Taylor Babbitt Foundation provided funding for four new AEDs, along with a matching AED training unit. The AHFAS also funded the purchase of two additional units, all from V.E. Ralph Emergency Medical Products. The devices will be used on all AHFAS frontline emergency response units on land and water, as well as in CPR and AED training for local community groups, recreation department sports coaches and schools.
In addition to providing 24-hour EMS services, the AHFAS is dedicated to educating community members about the benefits of learning cardio pulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and how they are a critical link in helping in sudden cardiac arrest situations.
The Chatham, NJ-based John Taylor Babbitt Foundation is a non-profit organization dedicated to preventing sudden cardiac death and is focused on installing AEDs in schools, athletic venues and public gathering places. The foundation, which is also focused on raising awareness for the need of AEDS and the prevalence of sudden cardiac arrest, was formed following the sudden death of John Taylor Babbitt in 2006. He was 16 and died from an undiagnosed heart condition while playing in his church basketball league.
The Atlantic Highlands First Aid & Safety Squad is an all-volunteer emergency medical service and rescue organization serving the borough of Atlantic Highlands and occasionally surrounding communities. The organization operates only on donations from the Borough and the community.
“The John Taylor Babbitt Foundation has made it possible for our squad to have the tools we need to immediately save lives,” said Pandolfo. “It is an honor to have been chosen for the organization’s generous donation.”
For information about the AHFAS, please call the non-emergency number, (732) 291-8118 or visit www.ahfirstaid.org. Also follow the AHFAS on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ahfirstaid and on Twitter at www.twitter.com/ahfirstaid. For information about the John Taylor Babbitt Foundation visit https://jtbfoundation.org.
Check Your AED. Is It FDA Approved?
Today, the FDA updated the Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) webpage to provide a list of FDA-approved AEDs. AEDs can be highly effective in saving the lives of people suffering cardiac arrest when used in the first few minutes following collapse from cardiac arrest.
To ensure the availability of life-saving treatment with the AEDs in your facilities, we encourage AED manufacturers to:
Check the list of FDA-approved AEDs on the FDA’s webpage to see if your AED is FDA-approved.
If your AED is not listed, you should plan to transition to an FDA-approved AED system. Contact the manufacturer of your current AED to discuss your transition plans.
Ensure that you have compatible accessories to meet your needs until you transition to an FDA- approved AED. This is particularly important because AED accessories may require frequent replacement.
Chatham Township Volunteer Fire Department Receives Seven AEDs from John Taylor Babbitt Foundation
CHATHAM, NJ – The Chatham Township Volunteer Fire Department received vital equipment that will help them prevent sudden cardiac death on Wednesday night.
The John Taylor Babbitt Foundation, which is dedicated to preventing such deaths, granted seven defibrillators (AEDs) for the Chatham Township Fire Department, allowing for a device to be carried on each of its trucks and vehicles.
John Taylor Babbitt was just 16 years old when he succumbed to an undiagnosed heart condition while playing basketball at St. Patrick School in Chatham.
Deputy Chief Matt Chase and president John Robertson talk about what the AEDs will do for the Chatham Township Fire Department and the community in the video above.
Kate and Sean Donovan, members of the board for the foundation, were on hand to present the AEDS. Sean Donovan talks about the work done by the foundation over the past 13 years in the video above.
AED Donations Are On The Rise- 2013
There are five new Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) at Trinitas Hospital in Elizabeth this year, courtesy of the John Taylor Babbitt Foundation.
The Foundation made a $4,880 grant to the hospital, which enabled it to purchase five AEDs, including one for Emergency Department lobby and one for the Trinitas Bike Team. The hospital’s Bike Team provides emergency response during local races and walk-a-thons. Two other AEDS are now installed in hospital emergency service vehicles. These vehicles regularly do home visits for heart failure patients recently discharged from the hospital.
Another device is being set aside for training students. Last year JTB gave Trinitas a grant to purchase practice dummies for its training classes.
Because Trinitas is a first responder for the Newark/Elizabeth region, it was able to purchase the devices at a substantial discount under the state contract rate, according to Abby Nagel, director of Corporate Partnerships.
JTB Foundation has placed 51 AEDS in the past three years and funded 29 CPR/AED training classes. Last year, two units went to the Summit Library and one unit each to the Cora Hartshorn Arboretum and Bird Sanctuary in Short Hills, the Farmingdale Borough Community Center, and Visitation Academy in Paramus.
To help Koinonia Academy in Plainfield comply with Janet’s Law, JTB purchased three units, two for the school and one to accompany traveling athletic teams. JTB is also underwriting CPR/AED training for faculty and students.
A unit purchased through funds from the Fairfield University Walk With Heart last year was presented September 27 to the University’s Public Safety Department for use in a campus security car.
Automated External Defibrillation Program: A JohnTaylorBabbitt Foundation Guide
The JTB Foundation has just issued an easy-to-use guide for launching a defibrillator and training program in your town or community. The guide is for a field installation. Based on our successful initiative in the Chathams, the guide provides a step-by-step program that can save lives by preventing sudden cardiac death through defibrillators and CPR/AED training.
According to the Red Cross, about 250,000 Americans die of sudden cardiac arrest each year. The Red Cross estimates up to 100,000 of these deaths could be prevented with immediate use of CPR and an AED. Installing well-marked AEDs on the playing fields in the Chathams will ensure that there is a always a defbrillator available where our children play.
The Foundation has prepared an easy-to-use GUIDE to help other communities establish their own DEFIBRILLATOR AND TRAINING PROGRAM.