Contact: Chris Chesrown
Media Relations Manager
480-731-8503

For Immediate Release

MARICOPA COMMUNITY COLLEGES INVEST IN LIFE-SAVING EQUIPMENT
Colleges commit to largest Public Access Defibrillation program in state

March 28, 2002 – Heart attacks kill more than 220,000 Americans each year according to the American Heart Association. That’s more than 600 deaths a day and most of these are sudden deaths caused by cardiac arrest. The Maricopa Community Colleges hope to save lives by installing more than 85 Automated External Defibrillators, or AEDs, at the district’s ten campuses and two skills centers.

“The safety of our students, faculty, staff and visitors is a top priority,” according to Ruth Unks, Maricopa Community Colleges Risk Manager. “More than 277,000 students are enrolled in classes each year, we have tens of thousands of employees and countless visitors. We’re larger than some towns, so it’s vital we make this life-saving investment.”

Heart attacks are often caused by a chaotic heart rhythm. AEDs are portable devices that deliver a small electrical shock, restoring normal heart rhythm. When the devices are installed in public places where large numbers of people congregate, and employees are trained to use the equipment, they become part of a Public Access Defibrillation, or PAD, program.

The Maricopa Community Colleges are investing $225,000 to purchase 85 AEDs. Some campuses are opting to add additional AEDs using separate funds. The goal is to have an AED available within a four-minute response period. Although untrained adults and children have saved lives with AEDs, employees will be trained to use the devices beginning in April.

“We know of no other organization or business, public or private, that has made such a significant investment in the AED/PAD program,” says Mary Lee Hyatt of the American Heart Association. “The Maricopa Community Colleges are setting a healthy example for others.”

The AEDs are scheduled for installation throughout the spring.

Pima County Community College is working with the Maricopa Community Colleges to purchase 23 AEDs for their campuses. Nationwide, 24 colleges and universities have already implemented a PAD program on their campuses, and have noted that they have already saved lives. Alabama, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Maine and Oregon have made AEDs available in places frequented by the public. Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport also has installed AEDs.

The Maricopa County Community College District is one of the largest community college districts in the nation. It includes 10 colleges – Chandler-Gilbert Community College, Estrella Mountain Community College, GateWay Community College, Glendale Community College, Mesa Community College, Paradise Valley Community College, Phoenix College, Rio Salado College, Scottsdale Community College and South Mountain Community College. The District also includes the Maricopa Skill Center, Southwest Skill Center, several satellite campuses and business/industry, technical and customized training institutes and serves more than 277,000 students annually. For more information: 480-731-8000 or www.maricopa.edu

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March 13, 2002