PRESS RELEASE
For more information, please contact
Wendy Hastings, EMS Program Manager
LTS EMS COUNCIL
at 570-433-4461, ext.126

Ski Sawmill Ski Patrol
Receives Lifesaving Device

The LTS EMS Council has announced that the Ski Sawmill Ski Patrol, a member of the National Ski Patrol System Inc. of Denver Colorado, was the recipient of an Automated External Defibrillators (AED) through the 2005 Rural AED Grant Program.

An AED is a life-saving device used to administer an electric shock through the chest wall to the heart. Built-in computers assess the patient's heart rhythm, judge whether defibrillation is needed, and then administer the shock. AEDs are important because of their ability to restore a normal heart rhythm in victims of sudden cardiac arrest. When a person suffers a sudden cardiac arrest, their chance of survival decreases by up to 10% for each minute that passes without defibrillation.

The Ski Sawmill Ski Patrol is a 33 member volunteer organization that provide emergency care and transportation off the mountain to clients and staff of the Ski Sawmill Ski resort. Ski Patrol staff are required to maintain their Outdoor Emergency Care (OEC) and CPR Certifications. These skills and their skiing/toboggan handling skills are refreshed annually to National Ski Patrol Standards.

Pennsylvania ambulances treat approximately 15,000 patients for cardiac arrest per year according to data gathered from patient care reports. Rapid identification of cardiac arrest, immediate notification of emergency services personnel through a 911 center, and administration of electrical counter shock is the treatment needed to increase the probability of surviving sudden cardiac arrest.

The PA Department of Health - EMS Office, the Office of Rural Health, the LTS EMS Council, and focused organizations such as the American Heart Association and Sullivan County Emergency Services are committed to improving the health of the residents and visitors of the Commonwealth and have all played a role in the application for and implementation of this program.

Applications for the devices were distributed through the regional EMS councils and the State Health Improvement Partnerships (SHIP) Steering Committee. Applicants must be involved in a partnership with local Emergency Service or Public Health entities and commit to education, training, and sustainability of the program in order to be considered for participation. ##