Darien has been notified by the Connecticut Department of Public Health that the town once again meets the renewal requirements for being designated as a “HEARTSafe Community.”
Contributed photo
Town and Darien EMS-Post 53 officials celebrating having received the certification.
This three-year designation recognizes Darien’s continued commitment in providing improved cardiac response and care to residents and visitors utilizing the “Chain of Survival” concept. Recognition was first conferred to the town in 2009.
— an announcement from Darien Health Department
The four vital links to the “Chain of Survival” aree early access to emergency care, early advanced care, early cardiopulmonary resuscitation, and early defibrillation.
Darien far exceeded the standards established to be a HEARTSafe Community and has actually improved upon those requirements since first receiving the designation in 2009.
The certificate
Award criteria are population based and relate to the provision of cardio pulmonary resuscitation (CPR) training and the availability of automated external defibrillators (AEDs) throughout the community as well as rapid response to emergency calls. Some highlights include:
- Award guidelines require the training of 50 citizens in CPR – Post 53 certified 455 individuals in AED/CPR last year, alone.
- AEDs are currently available at 59 locations, while the minimum requirement for a community with Darien’s population is to have 10 sites. Locations with AEDs include town owned buildings, the Mather Center, Weed Beach, Pear Tree Point Beach, Darien Library, the schools and private locations such as the YMCA and the country clubs.
- AEDs are carried by all Post 53 ambulances, Darien Police vehicles, and Darien Fire Department trucks.
Obtaining the designation as a HEARTSafe Community represents a true community effort of not just the vital fire, police, and emergency medical services, but also of various town departments, schools, businesses and individuals that provided training opportunities and purchased publicly located automated external defibrillators (AEDs).
Just as important are those citizens who took the time and effort to become CPR/AED certified. Darien Post 53 continues to be our community training center for the American Heart Association, training hundreds of citizens each year.