Feingold: “Rural AED Program Brings Life-Saving Machines to Wisconsin” Automated External Defibrillators Made Available Through Program Feingold’s Legislation Created May 13, 2004 Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Russ Feingold today highlighted the recently announced Wisconsin recipients of the Rural AED (automated external defibrillators) Grant. These AED grants are made possible through a program that Feingold legislation created. Feingold and Senator Susan Collins (R-ME) authored the Rural Access to Emergency Devices Act that became law in 2000. In 2003, Feingold and Collins successfully got $10 million included in the Labor/HHS Appropriations bill to fund the Rural AED Program for next year. "I am pleased to hear that more people in rural communities across Wisconsin will have access to this invaluable equipment," Feingold said. "The Rural AED Program brings life-saving machines to Wisconsin, and to rural communities all over the country. 107 AEDs are headed to Wisconsin this year alone as part of the program. AEDs give people across America a fighting chance to stop cardiac arrest before another life is lost." AEDs are computerized devices that administer an electric shock which can return the heart from ventricular fibrillation (a sudden chaotic interruption of the heart's electrical impulses) to a normal rhythm. Quick access to AEDs in an emergency is vital because for every minute that the heart is in an abnormal rhythm a cardiac arrest victim's chance of survival drops 10 percent. It is especially important to increase access to AEDs in smaller towns and rural areas where those first on the scene may not be paramedics or others who would normally have AEDs. For his continued efforts in the fight against heart disease and stroke, Feingold has received the National Public Service Award from the American Heart Association. "Rural areas have been at a disadvantage in treating heart attack victims because of the lack of accessible AEDs and this program goes a long way in filling that need," Feingold said. "I will continue to fight for increased funding for and access to AEDs. Cardiac arrest victims are in a race against time and an essential step in treating these victims is early access to defibrillation." Attached is a list of agencies and counties that will receive AEDs as part of this program. More information is also available at http://www.dhfs.wisconsin.gov/dph_emsip/ *FY 2003 RURAL AED GRANT RECIPIENTS IN WISCONSIN* Agencies/Counties # Approved Adams County EMS 2 Agnesian Health Care/Fond du Lac 10 Antigo FD/Langlade 2 Arcadia Ambulance/Trempeleau 2 Ashland FD 2 Bayfield County 10 Black River Falls EMS/Jackson 10 Bloomer Comm. Amb./Chippewa 3 Cascade PD/Sheboygan 1 Colfax Rescue Squad/Dunn 2 Divine Savior Health Care/Columbia 3 Egg Harbor First Resp./Door 2 Genoa City PD/Walworth 1 Granton Area First Resp./Clark 1 Green County 1 Hamburg First Resp./Marathon 3 Mem Health Ctr Taylor County 1 Mile Bluff Medical Center/Juneau 4 Mount Horeb FD/Dane 3 Neillsville Memorial Hospital/Clark 2 Portage County 3 Price County 2 Random Lake FD/Sheboygan 2 Rhinelander High School/Oneida 1 Riverview Hospital/Wood 9 Sauk Prairie Memorial Hospital/Sauk 5 Sevestopol First Resp./Door 2 Town of Seymour/Outagamie 2 Southwest Health Center/Grant 1 Springstead FD/Price 1 St. Josephs Comm. Health/Vernon 2 St. Josephs - Marshfield/Wood 3 Washington Rescue/Door 1 Wausaukee Rescue Squad/Marinette 3 Waushara County EMS 1 Western WI Tech College/La Crosse 2 Williams Bay rescue Sq./Walworth 2 Total 107 * – According to the Wisconsin Department of Health and Family Services/Wisconsin EMS. On the web at: http://www.dhfs.wisconsin.gov/dph_emsip/

# # #