(Photo provided, photo credit City of Crown Point)
(Photo provided, photo credit City of Crown Point)
In Crown Point, the fire department recently purchased eight automated external defibrillators (AEDs) due to the generosity of the April fundraiser “Bears and Badges,” officials said. It’s an annual event hosted in honor of first responders by First United Methodist Church of Crown Point. The purchase comes as the fire department continues to offer public CPR and AED classes monthly at Bulldog Park. EMS Division Chief Erik Schmitt said in a release, “Early CPR and rapid defibrillation can double or even triple survival rates of sudden cardiac arrest, according to the American Heart Association.” The monthly CPR classes at Bulldog Park spotlight how lives can be saved if more Americans know CPR and how to use an AED, said Crown Point Fire Chief Mark Baumgardner. “Taking two minutes to learn Hands-Only CPR and AED use can truly be used to save a life,” Baumgardner said. “About 70 percent of out-of-hospital cardiac arrests happen in homes, a place where a trained family member can make an incredible difference.”
