By John GittingsJ
WiscNews
PORTAGE, Wis. — Access to portable defibrillators can be the difference between life and death, and nine entities in Portage now will have them after a nonprofit donation.
The Portage Area Community Charitable Trust, better known as Positively Portage, worked with Portage Fire Rescue and officials from the facilities and organizations around the city to install 10 Stryker automated external defibrillators, or AEDs, at a cost of more than $20,000, about $2,000 apiece.
Defibrillators include the device, a handbag with tools needed to prepare for defibrillator use, including a razor to shave chest hair and scissors to quickly cut clothing, and a storage box with an alarm alerting when the defibrillator is taken without authorization.
“This is the result of investment returns,” Nancy Beasley, a member of the Positively Portage board who led the AED initiative, said, adding that the nonprofit reached out to organizations asking if they wanted the devices. “Because the market was good last year, we recognized that we had sufficient money to do something larger than just a grant to somebody. We decided that doing a community initiative would be a fun thing.”
This project is the largest donation that Positively Portage has distributed since the nonprofit started 10 years ago, according to board President Rich Jacobson.
“When Nancy reached out and said she’s thinking about doing this, it was an absolute no-brainer,” said Portage Fire Rescue EMS Chief Cody Doucette, who recently received the 40th Assembly District First Responder of the Year award. “For Positively Portage to come to us and for her to have the forethought to offer it and bring organizations together, it’s outstanding.”
Cody Doucette also represents the region at the state level on the Rural EMS Committee and the Professional Ambulance Association of Wisconsin’s Board of Directors.
“Having early defibrillation and an early call to 911 truly does make a difference (in saving lives),” Doucette said, and the presence of AEDs is vital to giving patients the best chance to survive in a life-threatening situation. “This is such a great initiative to help the community of Portage.”
AEDs provide paramedics “invaluable time” to get to a life-threatening scene, according to Doucette, who also showed people how to properly place shock pads from the devices.
“Seconds count,” he said.
AEDs ready to hit Portage
These AEDs were purchased by Positively Portage for around $20,000 for nine different facilities in the city.
The nine facilities and organizations that received defibrillators from Positively Portage:
- Portage Boys and Girls Clubs
- Portage Parks and Recreation Department
- General Engineering Company
- Kinship Mentoring of Columbia County
- Museum at the Portage
- Portage Curling Club
- Portage Elks Lodge
- Portage Presbyterian Church (received two for each building)
- Portage Youth Softball
“We got the word out that we were looking for organizations in the community that dealt with relatively large numbers of people,” Jacobson said, adding that the nonprofit still fields questions about the AED initiative and he hopes to do it again in future years.
Positively Portage has donated funds in past years to Boys and Girls Clubs and other city organizations, according to Beasley. The Parks department received two AEDs last year from the Portage Rotary Club as well.
Representatives from the receiving parties received their AEDs on Thursday night after watching Doucette show how to work them. The AEDs feature programmed voice instructions that “tell you exactly what to do,” according to Doucette, who added that the devices can be used on people of all ages.
Portage Parks & Recreation Department receives new 2 AEDs
The new AEDs, donated by the Portage Rotary Club, will be installed at concessions stands at Silver Lake Beach and Bruce Smith Little League Complex in Portage for spring programming.
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