Circulation supervisor Trevor Gladwin, left, shows off the library’s new HeartStart defibrillator to David and Maria Victor Smith, who funded purchase of the equipment.
There is a lot of discussion in town this winter about making Ridgefield a “heart-safe” community. We are pleased to announce that, through the generous donation of David and Maria Victor Smith, a HeartStart defibrillator (AED) has been acquired for the Ridgefield Library. It is a small, lightweight battery-powered defibrillator to treat the most common causes of sudden cardiac arrest (SCA), including ventricular fibrillation (VF). The only effective treatment for VF is defibrillation. SCA can occur to anyone — infant, child, adult, male or female — anywhere at any time. Many victims of SCA do not have warning signs or symptoms. A person in SCA does not respond when shaken and is not breathing normally. Many of the library’s staff members have been trained on the equipment by the Ridgefield VNA staff. A voice-activated system walks the user through the process to administer hands-only help to the patient. The AED cabinet is outfitted with supplies for both adults and children and is conveniently located in the main lobby for easy access to all levels of the building. What a lifesaver to have in a building with so many patrons!
Leslie Vuilleumier is the facilities manager at the Ridgefield Library. She may be reached at 438-2282, ext. 11022, or by email, mlvuill@RidgefieldLibrary.org.
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