Friday, July 4, 2003

Hartsfield defibrillator gets put to use

Nearly three months after Hartsfield International Airport launched one of the most aggressive defibrillator programs in the nation, a traveler arriving at Hartsfield Atlanta International Airport received a second chance at life.

An Atlantic Southeast Airlines passenger collapsed while deplaning at the airline's gate on June 25 at approximately 8:15 a.m. Instinctively, a nurse and a physician traveling aboard the aircraft rushed to grab one of the airport's AED devices and began implementing steps to revive the passenger until airport emergency response crews arrived at the scene. In all, four people came to the aid of the passenger in distress.

"Hartsfield firefighter paramedics were on-site within minutes after receiving the initial 9-1-1 dispatch. Airport crews immediately began stabilizing the victim and then transported the patient to South Fulton Medical Center," said Aviation General Manager Ben DeCosta. "At this moment, our thoughts and prayers are with the victim and family."

The world's busiest passenger airport launched the nation's largest aviation AED program entitled Hartsfield Operation HartBeat in April with the installation of approximately 200 AED devices throughout the terminal, concourses and various off-site locations.

Data from the American Heart Association indicate that as many as 250,000 people die each year from sudden cardiac arrest. Defibrillators, the life-saving devices used on victims of cardiac arrest, deliver a shock to the heart to restore normal heart rhythm. For more information about Operation HartBeat, please visit our Web site at www.atlanta-airport.comand click on "Customer Service," or contact Chief Miller at the Atlanta Fire Department Airport Division Administration Office at (404) 530-6639.