Pima County AED Scavenger Hunt Participants Find More Than 1,300 Defibrillators

November 3, 2014

WHAT: Terence Valenzuela, MD, professor of emergency medicine at the University of Arizona and medical director of the Tucson Fire Department, will present the grand prize check for $5,000 to the team that found the most automated external defibrillators (AEDs) in Pima County during the HeartMap Challenge AED Scavenger Hunt.

AEDs are electronic, brief-case size devices designed to allow bystanders to help someone who has collapsed during a cardiac arrest prior to the arrival of emergency medical services providers. Using an AED has been shown to saves lives; if a person suffering a cardiac arrest receives defibrillation within 3 minutes of collapse, the chance of survival increases 30 percent.

The goal of the AED scavenger hunt, which ran Sept. 3- 30, was to raise awareness about AEDs and to build a comprehensive database of the devices’ locations. More than 1,300 AEDs were found in the Pima County by 170 participants. The scavenger hunt also produced nine out of 10 “Golden AEDs,” worth $50 each. In addition to the announcement of the grand prize winner, other scavenger hunt participants will be recognized and available for questions.

WHEN: WEDNESDAY, NOV. 5, 2-3 P.M.
Open House 2-3 p.m., with official winner recognition at 2:30 p.m.

WHERE: Tucson Fire Central, 300 S. Fire Central Place, Tucson, Ariz.

INFO: For more information, please call Barrett Baker, 520-837-7016.