Montevallo launches citywide PAD program

Published 11:03 am Tuesday, June 6, 2017

MONTEVALLO- The city of Montevallo announced the beginning of its Public Access Defibrillation program at Montevallo City Hall on Thursday, June 1, under Cardiac Solutions. A press release from Cardiac Solutions stated AED devices will be installed at public facilities around the city.

According to mayor Hollie Cost, the PAD program “means saving lives.”

“Our number one duty as a city is to protect the people who work, play and stay in Montevallo,” Cost said. “This program will allow me to sleep better knowing that our citizens have access to lifesaving AEDs.”

Fire Marshall Brandon Broadhead said the new PAD program will help first responders take preventative measures to save more lives in Montevallo.

“Part of our job is risk reduction. Our whole goal is to stop the emergency before it happens,” Broadhead said. “Heart disease is the number one killer, and the best and most effective way to save lives is immediate defibrillation. In order to do that, we have to distribute AEDs among the community. This program is about mitigating risk.”

According to data from the Journal of the American Medical Association, a person’s chances of survival during sudden cardiac arrest increase significantly if bystanders perform both CPR and defibrillation on them before first responders arrive. Sudden cardiac arrest occurs when the heart stops pumping blood to the rest of the body, and CPR alone can not restart the heart.

The AED devices that will be distributed in Montevallo will use voice technology to walk the user through the CPR and defibrillation process. Cardiac Solutions will regularly maintain the devices to ensure that they work properly when they are needed.

Cardiac Solutions CEO Jon Seale commended the city of Montevallo’s officials for recognizing the importance of providing public access to AEDs.

“Deploying AEDs in police vehicles, city buildings and parks and rec facilities will highly increase the chances of survival. Additionally, having a managed program, such as the one Cardiac Solutions offers, increases one’s chances of survival from 5 percent to 88 percent,” Seale said. “Montevallo is clearly sending the message that the city cares about its citizens, employees, children and visitors by prioritizing their safety.”