Special Notice / Hearing: None__
Vote Required: Majority
To: Honorable Board of Supervisors
From: Carlos G. Bolanos, Sheriff
Subject: Accept a donation of Automated External Defibrillators
RECOMMENDATION:
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Adopt a resolution accepting a donation of seven Automated External Defibrillators (AED) valued at approximately $16,000 from the Sequoia Healthcare District facilitated by the Via Heart Project.
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BACKGROUND:
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that in the United States, someone has a heart attack every forty seconds. AEDs are easy to use portable devices that can save the life of a person experiencing sudden cardiac arrest. Every minute a person suffering a cardiac event is without an AED, their chances of survival are said to decrease by ten percent.
Currently, there is only one publicly accessible AED device in the Hall of Justice (HOJ). That AED is located on the 3rd floor inside the Sheriff’s Records Lobby and is not visible from the main hallway. Signage was recently posted throughout the 3rd floor public areas so that in the case of an emergency, those in need of an AED will easily be able to find it. Unfortunately, if someone were to experience a cardiac event on any of the other seven floors of the HOJ, it is unknown when or if an AED could get to them. While there are a few other AEDs in the building, those AEDs are in offices or behind locked doors, and if a member of the public needed one, they wouldn’t be able to access them.
As a working public building that services thousands of people each year, we need to be better prepared to respond to potential cardiac events. A building with the size and capacity of the HOJ should have a working AED located on every floor in a publicly accessible area, so no matter where in the building someone needs one, there will be an AED no more than two minutes away.
DISCUSSION:
Being the primary body responsible for the care and safety of those in the HOJ, the Sheriff’s Office saw a need for additional publicly accessible AEDs to be placed throughout the building. The Sheriff’s Office applied for and has been awarded seven grant funded AEDs from the Sequoia Healthcare District through the Via Heart Project.
Upon approval and acceptance of this donation, the Sheriff’s Office will move forward with accepting the AEDs and installing them on each floor of the HOJ that does not currently have a publicly accessible AED.
The resolution has been reviewed and approved as to form by County Counsel.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The AEDs will be provided at no cost to the County and will include maintenance services for the first year. After the first year of service expires, the County will be responsible for a minimal annual maintenance fee of approximately $1,600 which will be incurred by County Facilities Services.