Congress Approves Funding for AEDs in Rural Communities

This legislation, a component of the Public Health Improvement Act of 2000, was passed in the last days of the 106th Congress and was signed into law on November 13, 2000. It authorizes $25 million in funding over three years for supportive grants and directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to make funds available to rural communities for the purchase of AEDs. Only defibrillation - or the introduction of an electric shock to the heart - can restart the heart of a cardiac arrest victim. Health Resources and Services Administration's Rural Health Outreach Office is the administering agency for this critical initiative.

 

"This is a huge victory for rural communities who desperately need these funds to purchase these life-saving devices," said Philip C. Stittleburg, Chairman of the National Volunteer Fire Council, which is part of coalition of organizations that pushed for the funding. Stittleburg added, "Purchasing AEDs is especially difficult for fire and EMS departments in rural areas, which are usually protected by volunteers."

 

According to the American Heart Association, nearly 220,000 Americans die from sudden cardiac arrest each year and out of hospital survival rates remain in the single digits. In rural areas, where local fire departments may be the first to arrive on the scene medical emergencies, getting AEDs into the hands of first responders is even more critical. Because every minute that passes reduces the chance of survival for cardiac arrest victims by as much as ten percent, the first responder must be equipped to act.