In the News

EC2055 "Gifts of Life"  New Defibrillators

State of the art PowerHeart automated external defibrillators have been given to 12 schools, businesses and organizations in the community by Early County 2055.

EC2055 executive director Barton Rice said the gift was in keeping with the EC2055 mission to improve the quality of life for the people of Early County.

"We are thrilled to be in the position to provide local organizations in Early County with the AEDs and the medical emergency training that comes with them," said Mr. Rice. "The facts about surviving a heart attack are pretty sobering. Statistics show that about 95 percent of sudden cardiac arrest victims die before reaching the hospital and many of these deaths can be eliminated with the use of AEDs and CPR."

"The PowerHeart AEDs that EC2055 is providing to Early County are designed so the less experienced rescuer can use them with success, thereby improving the survival rates," said Mr. Rice.

A voice prompt guides the rescuer through the steps of CPR and defibrillation with direct and comprehensive instructions.

Cardiovascular disease is the No. 1 killer of adults in the United States and responsible for over 900,000 deaths annually, according to the American Heart Association. Approximately 250,000 of these deaths are due to sudden cardiac arrest, which is caused by ventricular fibrillation. The AHA states that prompt emergency care, with early defibrillation, is a key to surviving a heart attack.

One of the 12 recipients of the gift is Camp E-Tu- Nake, a wilderness camp for at risk kids that has been in Early County since 1994. The camp is a part of the Eckerd Youth Alternatives, Inc, a nationally recognized, private, not-for-profit organization dedicated to helping kids succeed.

"This gift is a real blessing for us", said Lou Barrington, the director of Camp E-Tu-Nake. "Having this AED will go a long way in helping to bring to our organization another health service that will help ensure the health and safety of our kids and staff. We thank the foundation for their generosity."

The new devices, which cost $2,500 per unit, will be installed immediately at Bainbridge CollegeBlakely Site, Early County elementary, middle and high schools, Early County Courthouse, Birdsong Peanut Company, Blakely Senior Citizens Center, Universal Blanchers, Southwest Georgia Academy, Camp Etu nake; Damascus Peanut Company in Arlington and Kolomoki Mounds State Park.

Early County 2055 is a non-profit organization created and funded by the Charles and Catherine B. Rice Foundation to sustain the EC2055 fifty-year vision, fund the long-term effort to protect the area's historic and cultural foundation and build and maintain a prosperous economic future.

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