POUGHKEEPSIE, NY-- Dutchess
County Executive William R. Steinhaus and Commissioner of Health Michael C.
Caldwell presented the three newest HEART Safe Community designations today at
the Dutchess County Regional Chamber of Commerce’s monthly breakfast at the
Poughkeepsie Grand Hotel, including Dutchess County’s first two municipality
wide HEART Safe designations for the Town and Village of Rhinebeck.
“Congratulations to both the
Town and Village of Rhinebeck on becoming Dutchess County’s first
municipalities to have earned the HEART Safe Community for their entire
geographic area, demonstrating how much they care about their residents, their
visitors and their residents,” said County Executive Steinhaus. “We encourage
every municipality to take the steps to become HEART Safe. Making sure
employees are trained in CPR and having Automated
External Defibrillators (AEDs) available can make a life saving difference in
the event of sudden cardiac arrest.”
Since Dutchess County’s HEART
Safe Communities program was first launched in 2007, more than 40 community and
municipal organizations have taken the simple steps to become HEART Safe. While
there are several municipal departments or buildings that have qualified as
HEART Safe, the Town and Village of Rhinebeck are the only municipalities that
can say they are HEART Safe from border to border.
For a municipality to earn a
HEART Safe Community designation, the following criteria must be met:
- At least 25% of municipality
owned buildings have AEDs available with proper signage. - At least 25% of municipal
employees have current CPR training. - At least 25% of restaurants
within the municipal borders have CPR kits.
The Village of Rhinebeck Police
Department was also honored with a HEART Safe Community designation at this
morning’s event. County Executive Steinhaus also recognized the work of the
Rhinebeck Heart Safe Club, whose mission is to promote CPR/AED awareness and
provide CPR and AED instruction in the community. The Rhinebeck Heart Safe Club
worked to assist both the Town and Village of Rhinebeck to earn the Dutchess
County HEART Safe designation.
Cardiovascular disease is the
leading cause of death in Dutchess County with more than 140 residents in
Dutchess County who die each year due to sudden cardiac arrest. In the event of
cardiac arrest; the sooner CPR and defibrillation are provided, the better the
chances of survival.
The goal of the HEART Safe
Community program is to improve the chances for anyone suffering from sudden
cardiac arrest to have the best possible odds for survival. Dutchess County’s program recognizes and
honors the efforts of organizations who have met specific criteria in an effort
to potentially save the lives of sudden cardiac arrest victims through the use
of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and increased public access to
defibrillation devices.
The Dutchess County Department
of Health has a HEART Safe Committee that is available to work with
municipalities to provide technical assistance and guidance to help them meet
the application criteria.
“It is an easy process to become
a HEART Safe Community,” said Dr. Caldwell. “Our team is here to guide your
organization through the process quickly and easily. I hope all residents will
encourage their own municipality to become HEART Safe. A few simple steps could
mean a life is saved.”
Organizations, businesses,
municipalities and others who would like to be considered as a HEART Safe Community can log
onto http://www.dutchessny.gov for additional information and to obtain an application.