Los Gatos Launches Effort to Make Lifesaving Devices Available

Santa Clara County Supervisors Cindy Chavez, Joe Simitian and Mike Wasserman have launched an effort to install automatic external defibrillators at “high-risk” locations throughout the town of Los Gatos.

The launch event, held at Blossom Hill Elementary School, celebrated the official kickoff of a decision approved in June to allocate $500,000 in order to broaden the scope of the AED program to cities, schools, and organizations who want to make them more available, according to the office of Supervisor Chavez.

AEDs are medical devices which restore a regular heart rhythm during a cardiac arrest, according to the American Red Cross website.

According to the office of Supervisor Simitian, this effort will make AEDs more available in schools, police vehicles, and other key locations in Los Gatos.

The launch was a joint effort between the offices of Supervisors Chavez, Simitian and Wasserman with El Camino Hospital, Racing Hearts, the Santa Clara County Fire Department, the Los Gatos Fire Department, Blossom Hill Elementary School and the American Heart Association.

During the launch event, the American Heart Association and the fire departments taught students how to properly perform CPR and use AEDs, according to the office of Supervisor Simitian.

“Sudden cardiac arrest is a killer, but it doesn’t have to be,” said Simitian. “These 21st-century AEDs are as close to foolproof as anything can be, and blanketing the community with them can really save lives.”

--Bay City News; Image via WikiMedia Commons