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An automated external defibrillator (AED) is a lightweight, portable device that delivers an electric shock through the chest to the heart. The shock can stop an irregular rhythm and allow a normal rhythm to resume in a heart in sudden cardiac arrest. Sudden cardiac arrest is an abrupt loss of heart function. If it’s not treated within minutes, it quickly leads to death. Most sudden cardiac arrests result from ventricular fibrillation. This is a rapid and unsynchronized heart rhythm originating in the heart’s lower pumping chambers (the ventricles). The heart must be “defibrillated” quickly, because a victim’s chance of surviving drops by 7 to 10 percent for every minute a normal heartbeat isn’t restored.
Click here to visit the American Heart Association website for additional information.
For additional information on the PAD Program, please contact:
Public Relations Manager at santaclaraco@rmetro.com
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A few important things to know about the first responders who may respond to your emergency:
EMT Snapshot
- Six to 12 months classroom education
- Class certificate
- National Registry Test or California State Fire Marshal Test
- One to two years in the field
Paramedic Snapshot
A paramedic obtains everything an EMT does, in addition to:
- Nine to 24 months classroom education
- Oral, written and practical exams
- Hundreds of hours of field and clinical education