This purchase will fill the need of having one current AED with an adequate supply of infant and child pads on both SPFD fire engines-Engine 81 and Engine 82.
“Because every second counts in a cardiac arrest emergency, it is important for our two engine companies to each have a fully functional AED,” said Fire Chief Rick Araiza. The SPFD’s two existing LIFEPAK 500 AEDs were purchased and placed in service nearly a decade ago in 2005.
“These units,” Araiza said, “have served our fire department well. But this equipment is old and outdated, built with old shock technology and old algorithms that were discontinued in 2007.” He continued that the SPFD’s current AEDs are not designed to adapt for new pediatric pad/cable systems, leaving children and infants in our community without these important safeguards, and that the new defibrillators are designed to also help children and infants. Also, these AED units are more ruggedized and carry the IP55 rating (standard for AEDs), so they are also most compatible with the cardiac monitors used by paramedics.
Araiza stated the purchase of these units would mean “our fire personnel will be equipped to deliver the best care possible in a cardiac emergency to all of the members of the community.”
The AED Upgrade Program was made possible in part through eBay Foundation’s GIVE Team program, which empowers employees of eBay Inc. to support their communities through volunteerism and employee-sponsored grants. Susan Adkins, the employee who recommended this donation, said that she spent her entire life in Santa Paula until she went to college and eventually ended up in the Bay Area, where she began working for eBay.
Her father, Ed Geis, was a volunteer member of the SPFD, eventually rising to rank of Battalion Chief with more than 20 years of service. He remains a highly respected resident in this city.
“When the GIVE team grant applications came out, my mind immediately went to the Santa Paula Police and Fire Foundation and the huge impact they have in this small town,” stated Adkins. “They do so many amazing things, including providing the equipment that literally saves lives in the local community.”
In 2013 alone, GIVE Teams worldwide recommended over 200 nonprofits to receive grants totaling more than $1,100,000. “eBay Foundation was established to reach beyond the boundaries of eBay’s virtual village to develop strong communities that bring people together,” said Amy Millington, President of eBay Foundation. “Through our GIVE Teams, we’ve been able to identify and support a wide variety of outstanding programs, that feed families in the San Francisco Bay Area, educate children in India, assist seniors in Germany, mentor at-risk youth in Omaha, and serve the homeless in Austin-to name only a few. We couldn’t be happier to add to our list of beneficiaries by supporting Santa Paula Police and Fire Foundation in its efforts to improve public safety.”
For more information about eBay’s GIVE Teams, visit www.theopportunityproject.org. For more about the Santa Paula Police and Fire Foundation and how you can help support this effort, visit www.sppff.com.
