Stories: EIDs in rural Iowa

Rural Iowa, by Bryce Moore

This week’s story is about a manufacturing facility in small town Iowa which purchased its first ever AED and EID (Emergency Instruction Device).  Paula, the current CEO and President of Think Safe Inc, relates the story.

The town the facility is located in has about 5,300 residents and the plant is located in an industrial park where approximately 5-6 other “major employers” have their operations.

The veteran onsite trainer and occupational health nurse purchased the new system based upon the need for an updated AED. She was truly pleased at the level of confidence it added to their 18 person 3 shift volunteer responder team that trains annually on CPR/AED and First Aid procedures.

They had been referred by their local hospital 4 years ago to purchase their first AED, which was admittedly rather “complex” – ECG functions, larger in size and rather expensive to maintain and no CPR pacing instructions or reminders.

I watched as a small group of responders picked up the EID and with ease ran through a Chemical Burn injury incident on the EID in about 3 minutes while the responders nodded their heads and listened attentively. I showed them how the CPR button refers to when to grab and turn on the AED and when to pause the First Voice EID and use the AED instead.

With the 2^nd responder group we ran through a Chest Pain medical emergency incident and one supervisor/responder stood up and stated “this is a relief and really will calm me down”.

Giving them tools to confidently and more easily address minor or traumatic emergency situations can only benefit everyone involved.

EIDs are not replacements for CPR and first aid training! But, an EID  reduces the “panic factor” that accompanies traumatic situations and enables anyone at the scene to take quick and decisive action until profession help arrives.

Emergency Instruction Device

Wishing you a long and healthy life!

–Think Safe, making minutes matter.