Not missing a beat
From left, Moses Lake Aquatic Center lifeguards Ben Ingersoll, Mickenzie Scroggins and Philip Martern and Moses Lake Fire Department firefighter, Tod Schanze, discuss how to use a difibrillator on an injured subject. The device is the first for the aquatic center, and was one of the two received by the MLFD through grant funds.<br>Brad W. Gary/Columbia Basin Herald
MOSES LAKE — Lifeguards at the Moses Lake Aquatic Center got a bit of a shock Friday.
The several dozen employees spent the morning training on a heart-shocking, lifesaving, defibrillator; the first the pool has ever had. The device was a gift from the Moses Lake Fire Department, with the hope that it will aid in the lifeguards' lifesaving duties at the pool.
MLFD firefighter Todd Schanze said his agency received the Automatic External Defibrillator through federal grant funds, part of a grant program with aims to put the devices in the hands of the public. By having the defibrillator on hand, Schanze said he hopes lifeguards will be able to administer a quick shock that could mean the difference between life or death for a heart attack or drowning victim.
"They figure it would save two to three minutes before we would arrive on scene to perform the shock," Schanze said.
The devices works by administering a shock to the heart, which resets the organ back to a normal rhythm that has been interrupted. The device is similar to those the MLFD holds on its fire engines.
This Rural Access to Emergency Devices grant was awarded to the MLFD, but Schanze said agencies like churches and service groups can also apply for grants to obtain the devices in case of emergencies. Emergency responders haven't had to use the device at the pool in recent years, but Schanze said this will allow lifeguards to respond to a situation immediately if they do.
"That's the whole idea," Schanze said, "is getting them out so people can use them."
For lifeguards at the aquatic center, the devices are fairly simple to use, with a computer system that walks users through the sequence. And the device is a familiar one to most lifeguards, who learn about the defibrillators in classes by the American Red Cross.
The device is a welcome addition for Moses Lake Recreation Superintendent Mark Hickok. Hickok's lifeguards learn about the devices when they are trained for the job, but he said they have never had one on-site.
"Seconds count when you're talking about cardiac arrest," Hickok said. For every minute that a person's heart is not beating, Hickok said it means another 10 percent chance that person is not coming back.
In case of those emergencies, Aquatic Center Manager Philip Matern said the defibrillator is another tool in the lifeguard's toolbox, and one which crews will continue to train on.
"Hopefully we'll never have to use it," Matern said, "but its definitely a good thing to have."