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City of Jersey City
05/21/2012 | Press release
2012 05 21 - City Hall: Designated As First "Heart Safe" City Building
distributed by noodls on 05/21/2012 16:57
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
Contact: |
Jennifer Morrill |
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May 21, 2012 |
Press Secretary |
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201-547-4836 |
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201-376-0699 |
Jersey City's City Hall to be Designated as First
Heart Safe Municipal Building
JERSEY CITY - Mayor Jerramiah T. Healy announces that City
Hall will now become designated as a Heart Safe building
according to criteria established by the American Heart
Association on Tuesday, May 22, 2012 at 9:00am, CPR classes
will be administered in City Hall Council Chambers and
additional automated external defibrillators
(AEDs) will be installed.
As part of National EMS Week, which is designated as the week
of May 20 - 26, City Hall will become the first Heart Safe
municipal building in Jersey City. In addition to the AED on
the first floor of City Hall, three AEDs, donated by the
Jersey City Medical Center, will be installed on the other
floors.
"The Jersey City Medical Center's EMS department has been instrumental in seeing that City Hall be designated as a Heart Safe building," said Mayor Healy. "We are grateful for their donation of three AEDs and for conducting the Heart Saver / AED class for the staff at City Hall. There is nothing more important than guarding the safety and health of everyone that visits or works here."
"This was a collaborative effort by the Jersey City Fire
Department, the Office of Risk Management, and the Jersey
City Medical Center to create a Heart Safe environment which
is vital in reducing the number of deaths from sudden cardiac
arrest and ensuring everyone's safety," continued Mayor
Healy.
Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in the
nation and AEDs are proven lifesavers for people who
experience acute cardiac events. Time is the most critical
factor when someone suffers a sudden cardiac arrest, and the
only definitive treatment is a defibrillation shock
administered within the first few minutes after the incident.
"A Heart Safe building is one that is equipped and has trained personnel to provide CPR to victims of sudden cardiac arrest," said Steven A. Cohen, Assistant Director of EMS, Jersey City Medical Center Dept. of EMS. "We are glad to be part in ensuring that City Hall be designated as a Heart Safe building. Without bystander CPR and AED defibrillation the chances of surviving a cardiac arrest decrease by 10% each minute defibrillation is delayed. This significantly increases one's chances of survival."
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Despite the fact that no statistics are available for the
exact number of sudden cardiac arrests that occur each year,
the American Heart Association estimates that about 335,000
people die each year of coronary heart disease without being
hospitalized, which is about 918 Americans each day. AED
devices are critical considering that about 95 percent of
sudden cardiac arrest victims die before reaching the
hospital, according to the association.
The new AEDs are equipped with a report, so that when a
patient is brought to the hospital, immediate and accurate
medical attention can be administered based on the
information gathered by the AED.
The Jersey City Fire Department will be providing CPR classes
for key personnel and updating older AEDs so that other
municipal buildings throughout the city will eventually be
equipped with an AED, and make them Heart Safe as well.
In meeting the guidelines for municipal designation as a
"Heart Safe Community," the City of Jersey City promotes and
implements the placement of AEDs and First Aid Kits in public
buildings; offers CPR, First Aid and emergency training to
all city employees; and partners with other organizations,
including the Jersey City Medical Center, to promote and fund
CPR, First Aid and emergency training within the
community.
Jersey City Medical Center, which runs a
Heart Safe program, cites ways of becoming a Heart
Safe Community on their website, http://www.libertyhealth.org.
The Jersey City Medical Center reports that:
Burden of Heart Disease and Stroke in New Jersey:
• Heart disease is the leading cause of death in New Jersey, accounting for 20,655 deaths or approximately 28% of the state's death in 2005 (National Vital Statistic Report 2008)
• Stroke is the third leading cause of death accounting for 3,614 deaths or approximately 5% of the state's deaths in 2005. (National Vital Statistic Report 2008)
According to the American Heart Association, over 75% of
out-of-hospital sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) cases occur at
work or home. About 95% of SCA victims die before they ever
reach the hospital.
In honor of EMS Week the Jersey City Medical Center's
EMS Department will be offering two free CPR classes to the
residents of Jersey City and Hudson County on Wednesday at 4
PM & 7 PM. For additional information, please contact
201-547-6126 or Training@JCMCEMS.org.
