Charlotte Volunteer Fire & Rescue Services, Inc.
Serving the Town of Charlotte Since 1950
EMERGENCY DIAL 911
HEARTSafe Charlotte
On July 12, 2017, The Town of Charlotte Vermont has been designated as a Vermont HEARTSafe Community. The Vermont HEARTSafe Community Program is a cooperative initiative of the Vermont office of EMS and Charlotte Volunteer Fire Rescue Services. The program recognizes local efforts made to provide strong cardiovascular related emergency care for residents and visitors and promotes partnership between local EMS services and the community partners to improve overall cardiovascular health and awareness.
The HEARTSafe Community designation is based on what the American Heart Association calls the chain of survival. The four components of the chain of survival include early access to emergency care, early CPR, early defibrillation, and early advanced care. To receive a HEARTSafe Community designation, cities and towns are awarded points, called heartbeats, based on their ability to meet program criteria. Program criteria include:
-
CPR and automated external defibrillator or AED training for community members
-
Public education and awareness of the sciences symptoms of cardiac arrest, heart attack and stroke.
-
EMS first response vehicles equipped with AEDs
-
Public AED placement and training
-
Advanced life support Dispatch as primary or backup responders for all medical emergencies
-
On going evaluation of the communities chain of survival
Through the safety measures of the chain of survival, we can improve the survival rate for cardiac arrest, heart attack and stroke victims. Measures such as early CPR can make a tremendous difference in survival in recovery outcomes.
Heart disease and stroke account for one in three deaths in Vermont. To increase survival and improve outcomes associated with these cardiovascular events, HEARTSafe Communities are increasing public recognition of symptoms of sudden cardiac arrest, heart attack and stroke, and promoting the importance of calling 911 immediately.
To learn more about The Charlotte HEARTSafe Community contact rescue@cvfrs.org. If you would like to register for a CPR and/or first aid class please visit our Upcoming Training page.
According to the American Heart Association (AHA), less than 5% of individuals who have sudden cardiac arrest survive.
Unfortunately, many who witness a cardiac arrest are unable to effectively help because they do not know CPR or the chain of survival.
Knowing these steps can increase survival by 20% or more. The HEARTSafe program is based on recognizing all communities who meet specific criteria that help increase the potential for saving the lives of individuals who have sudden cardiac arrest through the use of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and increased public access to defibrillation.
Designation as a HEARTSafe Community represents a coordinated effort by emergency medical services, fire departments, and police departments, as well as other various town departments, schools, and businesses that have committed to saving lives. By becoming a HEARTSafe Community, your town, city officials, and citizens will be recognized for taking the time, and making the effort to become an invaluable link in the chain of survival.
​
Chain of Survival:
Early access to emergency care
-Bystanders recognize the symptoms of cardiac arrest and call 9-1-1 immediately.
-EMS dispatchers are equipped with instructions for the caller and can get an Advanced Life Support vehicle to the scene quickly.
Early CPR
-CPR, when properly administered buys precious minutes until a defibrillator is available.
-Public knowledge and awareness must be increased so that those trained in CPR will actually use it when it is needed.
Early Defibrillation
-Defibrillation is the delivery of electric shock to restore the heart’s normal rhythm.
-Early defibrillation is considered to be the most critical link in the chain of survival.
-New AED’s are light-weight, sturdy, and easy to use by anyone who has been trained.
-AED’s should only be used by individuals certified by defibrillation training programs that have medical oversight and are coordinated with EMS.
Early Advanced Care
-Advanced care is delivered by an Advanced Life Support response vehicle stated by paramedics trained in Advanced Cardiac Life Support.
-Medications and oxygen therapy delivered by paramedics can be critical to the survival of cardiac arrest victims.
