Automatic External Defibrillators (AED) – $2,395
The Community Foundation of Teton Valley was honored to award Teton County Idaho Search and Rescue (TCISAR) this grant to purchase an Automatic External Defibrillators (AED). The Community Foundation supported this request because it increases the likelihood of a patient having the specific care that AED units provide when rescue personnel arrives on site. The new AED will benefit the community by the increased coverage with this life-saving technology.
With a growing number of outdoor enthusiasts recreating in Teton Valley and an increased number of Search and Rescue team members recruited in the last year, there is a need to have redundant equipment to provide an appropriate level of service to the community. At times TCISAR will have more than one call that they need to respond to and the ability to bring an AED on both backcountry missions is paramount. Teton Valley has AED’s located in static places; the EMS/Fire has mobile units, but what makes TCISAR’s situation unique is that their service location is the backcountry. Having the AED’s located on their trucks in redundant fashion allows the versatility needed to provide an extremely important capability to cardiac patients. Over the past several years, there have been numerous cardiac-related callouts where AED’s have been employed. If the patient has a shockable rhythm, an AED is the only chance of survival.
This grant will purchase an Automatic External Defibrillator to provide TCISAR with the ability to address a variety of situations that are encountered during a backcountry rescue. The AED will be placed on their trucks and put into use immediately. TCISAR staff is trained to use the device, with three members having Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) certification and all members have had Basic Life Support (BLS) certification. They also receive specific training on the proper use of the AED. All legal requirements for its use have been fulfilled.
Teton County Idaho Search and Rescue needs to augment the number of automatic external defibrillators currently available to deploy on missions. It is of utmost importance for TCISAR staff, especially those venturing into remote areas, to have the proper equipment upon arrival at a rescue site. The Community Foundation is pleased to support TCISAR with these valuable tools that can help save lives.
