Update: Richmond Village AED Program APRIL 2025
What a wonderful community we live in! Thanks to the generosity of each of you and Linda Olson and her committee of driveway “hosts,” we exceeded our collections goal! We were able to order 30 AED units, which will arrive soon. A small committee led by Mike Freundschuh has suggested locations for these units. Rachel Hammer will meet with Sumter County representatives next week to seek approval for these locations. If they meet their criteria, our AED program will be included in their program. After four years in their program, the county will assume financial responsibility to replace units and components! This means we only need to fund the first four years! We anticipate using the remaining funds for this purpose.
Our next important goal is to finish recruiting and training volunteer responders. We have 40 people in training, but our goal is over 80. More responders will allow us to better help our neighborhood with faster response times, which saves lives. Anyone can be a responder! We welcome full—and part-time residents, and no medical background is required! Trained bystanders often recognize and respond to cardiac emergencies. You can make a huge difference. You will need to attend a training class for cardiac compression and use of the AED, as well as a Pulse Point class at the county. There is no charge for this training. We plan to have mock drills to increase your comfort.
A study of public access defibrillation programs showed that where volunteers had been trained in CPR and the use of an AED, there were twice as many victims who survived compared to communities with volunteers trained only in CPR! According to Florida Statutes 768.13, the Good Samaritan Act provides immunity to anyone rendering emergency aid to people suffering health crises if something goes wrong. If the individual suffers further injury, the person assisting cannot be held liable as long as they acted reasonably.
Please join us today! Contact Robert Stanton, coordinator of responders: rstanton23@gmail.com
Any questions please contact Rachel Hammer, richmondaed@gmail.com
News, and next steps
Canvassing the Village of Richmond has begun. You may have had a neighbor know on your door, or you may have been left a flyer. It will continue on and off over the next couple of weeks, so that nearly all residents will have had an opporunity to learn more about the program, and to make a contribution if they choose.
Please read the information on the below flyer about an AED and the goal of our program. We are hoping to collect a $100 donation from each household.
People have been so welcoming about this program. It was wonderful to hear individual stories from residents who have seen an AED save a life! There is no price tag that can be put on saving even one life. We hope that you agree that $100 is a small amount to donate to help save any life.
Thank you for your support
Rachel Hammer & the AED Committee of Richmond
Overview of the Richmond AED Program
How does an AED work?
When sudden cardiac arrest occurs, the heart starts to fibrillate or "quiver" but does not pump blood. CPR (chest compressions) makes the heart pump and keeps oxygen flowing to the body, but will not "'start" the heart. The AED is a battery operated device that determines whether a heart needs to be defibrillated (shocked) into resuming normal rhythm. It gives audible commands and is so simple anyone can be taught its use in a few minutes.
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Why do we need the AED Program?
The nearest fire station is approximately 8 to 10 minutes from Richmond, and in the event of a cardiac arrest, minutes count in saving lives. If neighborhood volunteer Responders can arrive sooner, and can quickly begin giving help, the chance of survival is increased.
What is the program?
Volunteers working together to develop a plan, and ask residents and homeowners of Richmond to contribute to this program. After successful fundraising, we will purchase AEDS (Automatic External Defibrillators).
Once these are received, they will be strategically positioned within our neighborhood to provide the quickest possible response to anyone who experiences a Sudden Cardiac Arrest.
We will also be connected to Pulsepoint, a system that notifies our volunteer responders of 911 calls for possible cardiac events.
Neighborhood volunteers will be trained in CPR and use of AEDs. After testing and drills, the system will go live.
We will be 1 of over 250 Neighborhood AED Groups.There are currently over 660 AEDs and over 5,000 volunteer responders in the Neighbor Saving Neighbors Program.
Who is responsible?
The Villages Public Safety Department oversees this program. They assist in organizing, ordering equipment, training the volunteer responders and providing continuing updates on training and equipment. Our volunteers will respond to administer CPR and to apply the AED.
What if some people don't Participate?
Because of liability concerns, EVERY HOME in our neighborhood is protected in the case of sudden cardiac arrest, regardless of whether or not they have contributed.
Why should I participate?
The program needs your participation. It lowers the costs for all of us and increases your chance of survival if you go into cardiac arrest.
Do I have to be a volunteer?
Only if you want to, but the more Responders we have the better we can help our neighborhood.
Is the AED difficult to use?
It is virtually foolproof and easy to use.
Do I have any legal liability?
Florida's Good Samaritan laws protect any lay person who goes to the aid of a person in distress. The AED only "shocks" people who are clinically dead, so there is no risk of hurting someone.
How long is the CPR/AED training?
New responder training is 3 hours long and free of charge. Mouth-to-mouth is no longer recommended when doing adult CPR.
Is the program to respond to all emergencies?
No, ONLY cardiac/respiratory arrests and only in our village and immediate vicinity. (In the future, included events may include choking and drowning.)
Are contributions tax deductible?
No, the Richmond AED Program is organized as a club, not as a charitable non-profit, and as such contributions are NOT tax deductible.
Where will the devices be located?
Device locations were planned to have all houses within a certain distance from the nearest device. Actual locations will be mapped by The Villages Public Safety Department and the Public Education Technician, with participation of our volunteer program leaders, and homeowners.
Who is currently coordinating the AED Program
Roles are all volunteer, and are subject to change, and are evolving as more people become involved in the program.
Rachel Hammer - program leader
Jill Patsell - accounting
Mark Middleton - canvassing coordinator
Monique Reckner - receipts, events, website backup
Brenda Hein - events, publicity, website backup
Robert Stanton - coordinator of responder volunteers