Defibrillator used to save life at athletic club | Health

Quick action and team work are being credited with saving the life of a 70-year-old man Thursday morning at Germantown Athletic Club.

About 7:15 a.m., club members noticed the man fall over while sitting at a table. Club employee Teresa Martin told staff to call 911 while she ran to get an Automated External Defibrillator (AED).

“He didn’t have a pulse and was totally unresponsive. A few club members gave CPR while we got the AED,” said Martin, a club customer service representative.

Personal trainer David Allen placed the AED on the unresponsive man and one shock was given to the heart.

“It saved his life. That first shock is what brought him back,” Martin said.

Club members and employees continued CPR until paramedics arrived within four minutes of the call. The man received additional shocks en route to the hospital and is expected to recover.

“I’d had training in using the AED, so I placed the AED pads on the man’s chest, followed the directions from the machine and pushed the button to deliver the shock,” Allen said. “It was a relief when he started breathing again.”

“The effort put forth to save this person’s life was extraordinary,” said fire department battalion chief Lou Correale, who responded to the emergency. “The quick response of the citizens and the actions of Germantown Athletic Club employees were vital to his survival. Teresa, David and several others were able to keep this man alive through the use of the City’s AED and heroic CPR efforts.”

“If employees and citizens had not reacted in such a professional manner, our chance of reviving this patient would have been greatly diminished. Even a building maintenance employee was assisting us by clearing the exit route and holding the doors open. The efforts to save this man’s life were truly a cooperative effort.”

The City of Germantown has AEDs in all the city’s public access buildings and has provided training to employees on how to use the devices.

City safety and training coordinator Ricky Robbins said devices were installed beginning in 2005 and all public access buildings were equipped by 2007.

“We have a total of 11 in our facilities and today marks the first time an AED was used in a city facility,” Robbins said. “Although AED’s are only required in federal buildings, the City of Germantown felt it was the right thing to do to install AED’s in our public buildings. Today proved it was worth the effort.”

Information provided by the City of Germantown.