Races set to raise money
for two different causes
By Latisha R. Gray, The Daily Reflector
Saturday, April 02, 2005
With the local running season under way, race organizers
are not concerned with who wins or loses, but that
everyone crosses the finish line safely.
Having an automated external defibrillator at a racing
event may not have been the first thought for organizers
two years ago. But after the death of two area men
during two separate events, now it's a priority.
Dr. Christopher G. Ballinger, who was age 38 at the
time, suffered sudden cardiac arrest during the Habitat
for Humanity 5K race in 2003. His death at the annual
race, scheduled for today, raised awareness about
the importance of emergency care.
James Davis Jr., 57, suffered a heart-related death
during the swimming portion of a triathlon race a
few months later.
Racing officials said they are unsure if an automated
external defibrillator would have saved the life of
either man, but the machine can increase the chance
of survival in some cases.
AEDs are devices that can restore a normal heartbeat
when a person suffers cardiac arrest. The machine,
which resembles a small toolbox, gives the user audio
step-by-step instructions on how to operate it.
The Pitt County Medical Society now loans a machine
to civic groups and community event organizers. So
far, the device has been on the scene of most races
since the deaths of Ballinger and Davis.
Another Pitt County group, Project HeartBeat, is
working on a registry system that would alert 911
telecommunicators if a machine is on site. The devices
are not well-known in the general public, but medical
and health education officials are trying to get the
word out.
"After that incident a couple of years ago,
we've had the same basic plan of having AEDs at events,"
Kip Sloan, director of the East Carolina Road Racing
Club, said. "There was family history in the
previous instances. It's a very, very, very rare occurrence
... It happens, but it's extremely rare."
Sloan said racing groups are always trying to stay
on top of safety issues. James Orr, the organizer
of today's race said emergency rescue volunteers,
two medical doctors, an ambulance and an AED circulating
around the course.
"After the death of Dr. Ballinger, we started
looking into (acquiring an AED)," Karen Bean,
administrative assistant for the Pitt County Medical
Society, said. "We are trying to get the public
more aware of the need for AEDs."
The machines are visible in several public places
around Pitt County, including the airport, Colonial
Mall and Greenville Utilities. Project HeartBeat,
an effort by Greenville Fire-Rescue, the Brody School
of Medicine, Pitt County Medical Society and the American
Heart Association, was working to provide automated
defibrillators in public places before the two deaths.
"In the industry, those types of events help
to underscore the need for having AEDs available,"
Capt. Chuck Owens of the Greenville Fire-Rescue Department,
said. "I think if public awareness is changing,
it's because of the media and all the news stories
about AEDs."
Earlier this year, Project HeartBeat awarded several
machines to the town of Ayden, the Pitt County Detention
Center and Bradford Creek Golf Course.
Since then, the group has been working to start an
AED registry.
The registry alerts 911 telecommunicators if a machine
is on site, or if a neighbor has one for use.
Telecommunicators will use the information to direct
the start of treatment on a patient.
Owens said only a few machines have been registered
and he encourages anyone with a device to call his
office and register it with 911.
Although the registry is voluntary, state law requires
all purchasers of the equipment to inform their local
EMS that they have the machine. |
