Continuing with his crusade to increase access to AEDs in public places, Hall Ambulance Founder and President Harvey L. Hall donated two AEDs to organizations at Tehachapi’s Benz Visco Youth Sports and Cultural Park, which hosts an estimated 125,000 youth athletes, festival attendees, and spectators annually.

The presentations were made during Opening Day Ceremonies for the Tehachapi Youth Football and Cheer, and AYSO Region 479, on Saturday, August 26, 2017.  Hall Paramedic Jeffrey Gleason, and EMT Adam Moreno assisted in the presentations, and proudly displayed the American Flag during the National Anthem during AYSO’s opening ceremonies.  In appreciation of the donation, Mr. Hall was invited to do the coin toss for Tehachapi Youth Football and Cheer.

The donation of these lifesaving devices marks the ninth and tenth AEDs that Hall has donated to organizations in the Tehachapi Valley, including the City of Tehachapi, the Dye Natatorium, and the Tehachapi Senior Center in the past four years.

An AED is a portable electronic device that automatically diagnoses the life-threatening cardiac arrhythmias in a patient and can shock the heart back into a healthy rhythm.  With simple audio and visual commands, AEDs are designed to be simple to use for the layperson.  An AED can make a dramatic difference when used in the first few minutes of someone suffering from sudden cardiac arrest, prior to the arrival of ambulance paramedics and public safety personnel.

The initial request for an AED came through the Tehachapi Youth Football and Cheer organization; however, after reviewing attendance statistics for the Benz Visco complex and the distances between the fields, Hall decided placing two AEDs to in secure visible locations at both fields would allow for rapid accessibility in the event of a medical emergency.  Community member Christina Scrivner was helpful in connecting these organizations with Hall Ambulance Service.

“As the 9-1-1 paramedic provider serving 88% of Kern County’s population, we have witnessed firsthand the difference early CPR and defibrillation by an AED can make,” said Hall.  “Having these AEDs available at this facility which also hosts the Tehachapi Beer and Wine Festival, Boy Scout Camp, and other community events, will make a dramatic difference in the event someone experiences sudden cardiac arrest.”

Founded in 1971, Hall Ambulance Service, Inc. is the 9-1-1 paramedic provider for 88% of Kern County’s population.  The Company has provided emergency medical transportation service to the Tehachapi Valley since October 1, 1979, and today provides paramedic service from its two stations in Tehachapi, and a third station located in Golden Hills.