Plum officials have acquired new lifesaving devices for their police, public buildings and parks.
The borough recently purchased 16 Cardiac Science Powerheart G5 automated external defibrillators at around $1,300 each.
Borough officials did not say if any particular incident sparked the need to get the devices.
Mayor Harry Schlegel said Plum wanted to take a proactive approach to resident and visitor safety.
“Save one life (and) it’s worth all the money that was expended,” he said. “The technology is advanced and we’re keeping up with it. You can’t put a price on someone’s life. Fortunately, we have the money right now, and we’re able to buy these things.”
Six of the devices will be in the hands of law enforcement while the rest will be stationed at borough facilities.
Plum EMS Operations Director Brian Maloney said the devices are very user friendly and people do not need to be certified to use them.
Maloney said the device also reminds the user to call 911, and when to stop cardiopulmonary resuscitation so it can analyze the patient’s heart rhythm to determine if a shock is necessary.
“These AEDs are fully automatic,” he said. “As soon as you open up the lid, it starts walking you through the steps on what you need to do. This is phenomenal. CPR and AEDs are the best things that can help someone going into cardiac arrest.”
The product description on the Cardiac Science website states the AED’s “easy, intuitive operation and user-paced prompts enable first-time rescuers to act quickly and confidently to a sudden cardiac arrest emergency.”
Its technology also adjusts electrical delivery to the patient without the user having to calibrate it.
“If it’s a larger person, it’s going to deliver a higher energy level versus if it was a smaller person,” Maloney said.
More information about the AEDs is available at cardiacscience.com.
Maloney recommended people take a CPR class to get familiar with how to help someone in an emergency situation.
Plum EMS offers a certification course the third Wednesday of the month at 1990 Old Mine Road. Call 412-793-4801 for more information.
