9/25/2013· Aquatics Safety
Low-Water Crossings: "The Hidden Danger"
By: Gerald Dworkin
Nearly half of all flood related deaths occur in vehicles. Most of these deaths take place when people drive into flooded highway dips or low drainage areas.
By: Gerald Dworkin
Tel: (207) 967-8614
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In October 1993 the American Heart Association appointed the Task Force on Automatic External Defibrillation. The task force was charged with conducting a conference on automatic external defibrillation, evaluating research needed for broader community use of automatic external defibrillators, and overseeing evaluation of the feasibility and desirability of their use by healthcare professionals and the lay public.
In December 1994 a conference on public access defibrillation was held in Washington, DC. More than 300 persons attended, representing science, industry, the healthcare professions, law, and the federal government. During the meeting the participants reached a consensus on the general proposition of greater public access to defibrillation and the need for broad-based clinical research, public and professional education, and legislative reform. Following the conference, members of the task force, with input from others in the field of emergency cardiac care, wrote this statement, which was approved by the AHA Board of Directors in June 1995.
Early bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and rapid defibrillation are the two major contributors to survival of adult victims of sudden cardiac arrest. The AHA supports efforts to provide prompt defibrillation to victims of cardiac arrest. Automatic external defibrillation is one of the most promising methods for achieving rapid defibrillation. In public access defibrillation, the technology of defibrillation and training in its use are accessible to the community. The AHA believes that this is the next step in strengthening the chain of survival. Public access defibrillation will involve considerable societal change and will succeed only through the strong efforts of the AHA and others with a commitment to improving emergency cardiac care.
Public access defibrillation will include:
The AHA can also play a major role by:
Meaningful change will occur only with the broad public support that has traditionally characterized the AHA's efforts in the fight against heart disease and stroke.
Gerald Dworkin, is a professional aquatics safety and water rescue consultant for Lifesaving Resources Inc. and is responsible for aquatics safety, lifeguard, water rescue, and ice rescue training curricula and programs. He also consults as an expert in drowning and aquatic injury litigation. He is a graduate from the University of Bridgeport in Connecticut, and has over 30 years professional experience in the fire, EMS, and water rescue sector. He is currently a firefighter/EMT for the Harrisville (NH) Fire and Rescue Department.
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9/25/2013· Aquatics Safety
Low-Water Crossings: "The Hidden Danger"
By: Gerald Dworkin
Nearly half of all flood related deaths occur in vehicles. Most of these deaths take place when people drive into flooded highway dips or low drainage areas.
4/23/2013· Aquatics Safety
Mouth-To-Mask Rescue Breathing and Comparisons of Personal Resuscitation Masks
By: Gerald Dworkin
Because of the major health concerns today, there is a major reluctance among emergency service personnel to perform direct mouth-to-mouth rescue breathing on an unknown victim.
3/20/2013· Aquatics Safety
Spinal Imobilization In Deep Water
By: Gerald Dworkin
For the past three issues, jems has presented a thorough review of spinal immobilization devices that are used in traditional rescue situations.