Some Questions & Answers
What prompted the creation of a committee to raise money for AEDs in Richmond?
The Villages have grown South of 466, the village AED program has gone from small, localized streets or “neighborhood” programs for AED to encompassing the entire village. St Catherine’s, St John’s and DeLuna are three such neighboring villages.
The public has become more aware that every minute counts in saving a life, decreasing the chance of irreversible brain damage from not the heart pump oxygenated blood. Having a responder who can give CPR and/or administer a shock to the heart with an AED can be invaluable until the professionals arrive.
Currently in a best-case scenario, emergency responders are 8-10 minutes away and could be even longer. The key to saving lives is rapid response.
How were the members of the committee chosen?
When I (Rachel Hammer) moved into the Village of Richmond and joined the Facebook page, I noticed the desire for an AED committee was frequently mentioned but nothing had been done to facilitate this. Searching through the old posts I was able to find some people who seemed interested in helping with this project and contacted them. A handful of people were willing to meet and see what we could do to accomplish this goal. Every person is a volunteer, some have an EMT background, a nursing background or just a desire to facilitate this for the neighborhood. There is no expected personal gain from involvement in this group.
What is the plan for fund raising?
At our first meeting we discussed the best time to canvas the residents for donations. It was determined that January 2025 would be a great time as the holidays would be over and most snowbirds would be in their Florida home. Based upon similar sized villages, it was determined that a suggested donation of $100 would be our asking point. We were told by other villages and by the Village Public Safety Department that 50% participation would be a realistic achievement.
When will fund raising commence?
The committee knew they needed time to set up workings within the committee, volunteers for canvassing the neighborhood and long-term volunteers who would respond to an emergency. January 2025 seemed like a good starting point. In the past few weeks several privately organized parties have elected to give extra funds and/or donations to the AED project. While we did not organize these activities it seemed like a great opportunity to begin spreading the word about the goal of the AED committee, gather volunteers for canvassing and to collect part of that shortfall of funds anticipated by everyone not participating in the donation drive.
What About Oliver Villas?
At some point, Oliver Villas decided that as a neighborhood they would install one AED unit. We will not be canvassing this area for money as they have their own program, complete with responders.
What is Pulse Point?
The county provides a free of cost program called Pulse Point which connects our responders to the 911 system. Volunteers have an app on their phone which allows the 911 system to see where they are and if there is an emergency with a cardiac (heart) basis, then an alert is sent out to volunteers in the area. The Village Public Safety Department will train our responders in CPR and the use of the AED, at no cost to the participants! All responders will be CPR trained and certified and familiar with using an AED.
The Good Samaritan Act in Florida protects all of our responders from civil or legal charges. “Any person, even those licensed to practice medicine who freely and in good faith renders emergency care or treatment shall not be held liable for any civil damages as a result of such care or treatment.”
How Will We Know How Many AEDs to Purchase and Where to Install?
There are groups in the county and at the Village Public Safety Department who perform these tasks. We must meet the guidelines of both county and the villages regarding where the units can be placed. This step is currently being taken and once they finish mapping everything out, we should know how many units we need ideally to install and from that number we can begin to better determine our budget. If we don’t have enough money, then we have an option to install a smaller number of units and revisit fund raising efforts.
What is the Anticipated Budget for AED Purchase?
It is anticipated that we will need 15-20 AED units. The price per unit has been quoted to us as anywhere from $1500-2500 per unit plus installation. The Villages require us to have enough remaining money to take care of costs, maintenance, etc. for the next 5 years. We are hoping to raise at least $50,000 to cover the anticipated costs of this project.