OGDEN, Utah — Ogden City installed the first community Automated External Defibrillator or AED at Mount Ogden Park on Wednesday, which is accessible at all times, by anyone who needs it.
"We carry life-saving equipment, but what if it was 3-4 minutes closer,” said Ogden City Fire Chief Mike Slater. “What if you witnessed something that happened in a restaurant and that restaurant had an AED just outside on 25th street, and you’re able to leverage that, put it on, and shock that individual. The long-term effect is that individual gets to go home to their family."
Slater said for a couple of years, the city has been working on ways to help save people who have heart attacks. They offer CPR classes and use the PulsePoint app to leverage volunteers who are close by to help save lives. And that installing these devices is a step in that direction.
Last Thanksgiving, 47-year-old Jeff Wilson was playing basketball with some friends at Ogden High School when he collapsed and fell. "My friends jumped right down and started CPR, and he bee-lined it for the AED,” said Wilson.
He was playing with someone who had just been re-certified in CPR. That good Samaritan used a defibrillator to help save his life. Wilson was taken to Ogden Regional Medical Center.
"The cardiologist said when you go down with a fully included widow-maker, you have a 10-12 percent chance of survival,” recalled Wilson. “Yes, CPR mouth-to-mouth is vital, but the AED is really what brings the heart back.”
He has recovered now after also undergoing cardiac rehabilitation at Ogden Regional, so he is back to playing all the sports he loves. After this happened, he wanted more people to learn CPR and about AEDs.
Back in February, Ogden City recognized the people who saved Wilson’s life. Officials spoke about how they have been working for a couple years on ways to save people having heart attacks. So, through a partnership with the ‘Teddy's Heart’ foundation, and someone who just wanted to help, the city installed the first 24/7 community accessible AED right here at Mount Ogden park.
"Hope the community cares enough to keep them safe, protect these things, and push forward to help us with this initiative,” said Chief Slater.
"I love that it’s a block from my home, and I can now tell my kids, I can tell other people in the area,” added Wilson.
He hopes that it doesn’t have to be used, but it's there to help in a crisis.
Slater said they don’t have any plans in the works now to install more AEDs, but are hoping for more partnerships in the future to add more machines to accessible spots.
