Region to receive six new defibrillators

LINCOLN -- The Nebraska Health and Human Services System is distributing 123 defibrillators to rural communities to respond to one of the most time-critical medical emergencies -- cardiac arrest.

Six of the defibrillators will be delivered to Southwest Nebraska locations.

Gov. Mike Johanns said Tuesday the "Automatic External Defibrillators" (AEDs) are being provided with funding from a $235,607 grant awarded to NHHSS from the Health Resources and Services Administration of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, working with the American Heart Association.

Each year, approximately 250,000 Americans died from out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, a condition where the heart suddenly stops beating effectively and is unable to pump blood throughout the body. AEDs are small, easy-to-use devices that provide an electric shock to restart a heart that stopped beating.

For every minute that passes after cardiac arrest occurs, chances of survival decrease by 10 percent. One new defibrillator will be placed at each of these locations in Southwest Nebraska:

- Dundy County ambulance, medical rescue truck at the fire station.

- Dundy County Health System ambulance barn.

- Dundy County Hospital nurses' station.

- Trenton Rescue.

- Lakeside Central High School principal's office.

- Wellfleet First Responders.