(Atlantic) Iowa Lt. Governor Adam Gregg appeared at the weekly Atlantic Rotary Club meeting for a presentation on Cass County Iowa United First Aid. Cass County is one of three Iowa counties testing a new program to cut emergency response times in rural areas. The Lieutenant Governor is sponsoring this program to send whoever is closest to the emergency to provide care until the ambulance arrives.
Lt. Gregg says the genesis of this story goes back to a trade mission to Israel in March of 2022 with five other Lt. Governors. He said it was a fantastic experience to meet with the political leaders; however, the most significant meeting was with a non-profit group called United Hatzalah.
Lt. Gregg says in emergencies, when minutes and seconds count, there can be a difference between life and death, and he believes getting someone on the scene as soon as possible will be truly lifesaving. He says every minute, your chance of survival goes down by 10 percent. Erik Johnson, a first responder, is the Cass County Program Coordinator for the Iowa United First Aid Program. Johnson is seeking volunteers to join this first aid program in Cass County to provide a buffer between the 9.1.1 call and the arrival of an ambulance.
Cass County covers 564 square miles, and the program aims to train and equip volunteers with a background in CPR and AED to respond and provide early access to first aid. This is a test run with this program. Gregg says success will be measured in a couple of ways. The number of volunteers in the system, response times, and the third and most important number of lives saved by quick response.
Every second counts, and the chance of survival from sudden cardiac arrest decreases for each minute that passes without CPR and defibrillation. He says establishing an AED program in communities is associated with nearly doubling the out-of-hospital cardiac arrest survival.
As part of this Pilot Program, Cass County receives 50 thousand dollars from the state and 25 thousand from the county for training and equipment.
Those interested in joining or learning more about the program can contact Erik Johnson at cassCountyFirstAid.Erik@gmail.com. Or dial 712-249-8816.
