Sue Sitter/PCT Rugby Leevers Foods Store Manager Skip Christianson poses for a photo next to the store’s automated external defibrillator, or AED. The device is one of 34 placed in public locations throughout Rugby through grants received from Heart of America Medical Center.

As February begins, thoughts turn to valentines and hearts – and not just the shapes meant to symbolize love.

The National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute and the National Institutes of Health celebrate National Heart Month each February to encourage Americans to take care of their hearts.

One way Heart of America Medical Center promotes heart health can be seen in businesses and public places all around Rugby, and not just in February.

Glass-paneled white boxes marked “Emergency Defibrillator” hang on the walls of Leevers Foods and 33 other public places such as churches and restaurants throughout Rugby.

Businesses have placed the boxes near their front entrance for easy access. The AED box at Leevers Foods can be seen from the front registers, on a wall next to a clock and to the right of a large gumball machine.

The automated external defibrillators, or AEDs can save lives, according to Cameron Thornberg, a paramedic and emergency medical services manager at HAMC.

“The purpose of an AED is to ‘reset’ the heart in the case that it goes into an irregular, non-life sustaining cardiac rhythm,” Thornberg said. “The AED provides a controlled dose of electricity to the heart with the hopes that the heart will reset in a proper heart rhythm that sustains life.”

Thornberg said using the AED combined with early CPR is “essential to survival in the case of a cardiac arrest.”

The 34 AEDs placed in public were purchased through grants written by HAMC, according to Thornberg. “We have an additional 14 AED’s that HAMC purchased, that are carried by rural responders throughout the Pierce County,” he added.

“These rural responders have received basic First Aid training as well as CPR/AED training.  They are the first responders in their area to get to people before the ambulance does and provide basic care.”

  “There are also 12 AED’s in the community that are privately owned by businesses that we routinely check and update in such public places as the local schools and courthouse,” he said.  “The Rugby Police Officers also each carry an AED in their response vehicles.”

“In collaboration with Rugby EMS and HAMC’s BioMed department, each AED is tested and batteries and patches are replaced on a routine basis,” he added.

Thornberg noted AEDs should be used by people with training in CPR.

“The AEDs have two patches that are applied to the patient’s bare chest,” he said. “There are pictures on the patches to provide placement directions.  As soon as the AED is turned on, an automated voice will provide directions through the entire process.”

Thornberg added AEDs have fail-safe devices that prevent someone with a “normal, life-sustaining heart rhythm” from receiving a shock.

“In the case of a person found unresponsive, the normal chain of survival or process is that a person should call 911, start CPR if applicable and apply the AED,” he added.  ” Every minute that a person is unresponsive and has no heartbeat or a non-life sustaining heart rhythm, damage occurs to the heart.  The earlier the CPR and defibrillation is provided the better chance of recovery for the patient.”

The Emergency Medical Services department of HAMC and the Rugby Ambulance Service offer classes created by the American Heart Association in CPR and AED use each month, Thornberg said.

“The classes teach the students to use the AED in conjunction with CPR for unresponsive patients,” he noted.

“I have used AEDs many times on patients over the years,” Thornberg added. “Sadly not every time is a successful experience where the patient survives.”

“The one thing I will have to say is that over the years, as education has expanded to the public and AED’s have been made more readily available the percentages of ‘saves’ has greatly increased,” he said.

“I have been a CPR instructor for almost 20 years,” he added.

“One of the first classes I ever helped teach was to a Rugby business,” Thornberg said. “Two weeks later, one of the employees of that business stopped to help a patient they had seen collapse.  I am happy to say that to the best of my knowledge that patient is still alive and doing well.  We have multiple other stories of people that have been helped by AEDs/CPR and are still in our community with us.”

“Without a doubt I would recommend that everyone that can take at least a CPR class should do so,” Thornberg said.   “An average CPR class is about two hours long and the certification is good for two years.”

“Two hours of your time is nothing to invest if you are able to help a loved one, neighbor or fellow man,” he added. “We can’t save everyone but if you can help even one person it will mean the world to their loved ones to get to spend more of their life with that person.”

“We offer one morning class and one evening class each month for the public as well as hospital employees,” Thornberg said. “First Aid classes are offered as needed.  We also offer private classes for businesses or groups.”

“Please feel free to contact us to inquire about our classes and pricing,” he added.  “Please call HAMC EMS Education line at 776-5261 ext. 2153.  Please leave a message if needed and we will call you back as we may be on an ambulance call or assisting patients.”