Avon, CO, September 22, 2017, 10:00am. Starting Hearts is pleased to announce its first Starting Hearts Community designation. EagleVail will be the recipient of this recognition at a special event at the EagleVail Pavilion on Friday, October 6th, from 4:30pm to 6:00pm. The event is in conjunction with the last ice cream social of the year and all are welcome.
Lynn Blake, founder of Starting Hearts and a sudden cardiac arrest survivor states, “I am so proud of my home, EagleVail, for the concerted effort made over several years to make our community one of the safest in the nation for victims of sudden cardiac arrest. EagleVail has invested in defibrillator placements all over the community, including four on the golf course and several more on Highway 6. All-in-all, there are now fifteen defibrillators, all readily available to the public on a 24/7/365 basis.” She continues, “We have been afforded many opportunities to train citizens at the EagleVail Pavilion and raise awareness via newsletters and community events.”
Jeff Layman, Community Manager for EagleVail, states, “Beyond being gratified to be acknowledged by Starting Hearts, EagleVail is pleased to have prepared itself for the inevitability of sudden cardiac arrest cases. We want all of EagleVail’s owners, residents and visitors to be aware of the wide distribution of defibrillators throughout our community, and how to use them; so we’ll all know how to respond. Our Property Owner’s Association and Metropolitan District Boards have supported this program from the beginning.”
Alan Himelfarb, Executive Director of Starting Hearts, states, “The Starting Hearts Community designation recognizes those municipalities that make a sustained effort to apply best practices in responding to sudden cardiac arrest. Few realize this is our nation’s largest killer, with 1,000 deaths every day; but it need not be this way. With education, widespread distribution of defibrillators, and an activated citizenry, so many more lives can be saved. And every life is precious.” He continues, “We plan to engage communities across the state in achieving this designation through development of infrastructure and education of their residents. EagleVail is a true model for the future and we are pleased to recognize their extra efforts.”
The Starting Hearts Community Designation Program is a robust vetting system to guide and insure that a municipality has undertaken training, defibrillator placements, and sustained efforts in community outreach and engagement, including the following:
- Provides defibrillator access at recreational sites, including parks, lakes, golf courses, and ballfields;
- Provides defibrillator access for residents in public buildings and on streets;
- Encourages defibrillator access in commercial areas, including offices, businesses, restaurants, and hotels;
- Offers regular trainings on CPR and defibrillator use to residents on a regular basis;
- Promotes awareness of defibrillator locations to residents and guests via a free downloadable mobile app, PulsePoint;
- Promotes registration in Starting Hearts’ Neighbor SaverTM program to activate citizen first responders to provide early care when called upon;
- Encourages heart healthy activities for residents, including fitness centers, hiking trails, swimming pools, and community events;
- Coordinates with local emergency responders to create a chain of survival that includes citizen first reponders.
Starting Hearts encourages all municipalities to achieve this important designation and save more citizens and visitors through these efforts. For more information on the Starting Hearts Community, please email info@startinghearts.org.
