FISHKILL, NY - Rombout Fire Department, serving a part of the town of Fishkill, has received a $2,500 grant from the John T. Sloper Community Fund of the Community Foundation of Dutchess County to purchase two automated external defibrillators.
The Community Foundation grant enable Rombout FD to installed one of the AED in the department’s van and the other AED in the catering hall at Station One.
“Our thanks to the Community Foundation for their support of the local community” said Rombout Fire Chief John Lucariello. “The ability to have more AED’s available in the community, drastically raising the chances of survival for a person suffering a cardiac attack.” Having a AED on the department van to quickly respond to a resident or business was needed and this grant fulfilled it. The second AED was installed in the catering hall because the Fire Department members hold large and frequent catering events and meetings.
Red Cross statistics show that more than 200,000 Americans die of sudden cardiac arrest every year. Up to 50,000 of these deaths could have been prevented if someone had initiated the Cardiac Chain of Survival, and an automated external defibrillator (AED). An AED is easy to operate and is about the size of a laptop computer. It will analyze the heart’s rhythm for any abnormalities and, if necessary with voice prompts, directs the rescuer to deliver an electrical shock to the victim. This shock, called defibrillation, may help the heart to reestablish an effective rhythm of its own.
The John T. Sloper Community Fund was established at the Community Foundation of Dutchess County and endowed with the proceeds from the sale of the Sloper-Willen Community Ambulance Service. Founded in 1958 by John T. Sloper, the company motto was: “That lives may be saved.” This fund was established to honor the legacy of John T. Sloper and the Sloper-Willen Ambulance Service to promote and encourage people and organizations to provide emergency medical services to save lives.
The Community Foundation is a local organization that seeks to strengthen our community by offering donors the means to establish legacies, by making grants and by providing leadership to address community needs. Established in 1969, the Community Foundation of Dutchess County is comprised of more than 390 separate funds with assets of $28 million. Grants from these funds provide much-needed resources help community organizations representing a broad and diverse range of issue areas, including the arts, education, community development, conservation, health, and human services. For more information, visit www.cfdcny.org, or call 845-452-3077.
For more information about Rombout Fire Department or how you can support its community efforts, please call Station One at 845-896-8620, or visit our Web site at www.romboutfire.com.