Spaghetti fundraiser and silent auction May 31 for lifesaving equipment

By Judy Reed

When someone you know and love is in cardiac arrest, you want to get them the best help possible. That’s why the Solon Township Fire Department is holding an all you can eat spaghetti dinner and silent auction at Big Boy, on Tuesday, May 31, from 5-8 p.m., to raise money for new equipment that will help save lives. Tickets are $10 for adults and $7 for children.

In 2016, there were more than 350,000 instances of sudden cardiac arrest (outside of hospitals), according to the American Heart Association. About 46 percent had CPR performed on them by a bystander, and only 12 percent survived. That might not sound like a high number, but it’s a number that’s climbed over the last several years, thanks to new lifesaving equipment available to paramedics that will automatically do chest compressions. And Solon Township Fire and Rescue is trying to raise money to buy the equipment to treat people locally.

Algoma and Kent City have the equipment, and Cedar Springs purchased it earlier this year after doing a fundraiser. Cedar Springs Fire Chief Marty Fraser said they were first introduced to it by Algoma Fire, who helped them on a call. “It’s an amazing piece of equipment and will help save lives,” he said.

According to Solon Fire Chief Jeff Drake, the equipment is about $15,000. They have received a $2,500 donation, and have also applied for a grant through Lowe’s.

Administering manual CPR is not easy work. It calls for 120 chest compressions a minute, and involves several paramedics. The new equipment would bring that number down.

According to Drake, automatic chest compression devices save precious amounts of time, manpower, and increase a patient’s survival rate substantially. They are safe and efficient tools that standardize chest compressions during cardiac arrest and are in accordance with the latest scientific guidelines developed by the American Heart Association.

One case where they had to use manual CPR occurred in February. The woman’s husband later thanked Solon first responders at a township board meeting. Tom Decker praised the responders for their efforts when his wife, who was in the late stages of Alzheimer’s, collapsed in their home. He began to do chest compressions, and then Solon Fire responded within minutes and took over. They eventually got her heart beating again, and she was sent to the hospital.

“Sadly she did not regain consciousness and passed away on the evening of the second (of February),” wrote Tom. “That was God’s will, not our first responders. At my request, they did everything possible in their efforts to save her. They were obviously well trained, dedicated, driven, and efficient, yet compassionate and understanding…I do want them to know how grateful I will always be for their service to my wife. Even though I don’t know them, they are my heroes.”

Getting the equipment to do automatic chest compressions will help the rescue workers in cases such as Mrs. Decker’s, and others.

You can help by attending the all you can eat spaghetti dinner and silent auction. Some of the items being auctioned off include a TV, Tiger baseball tickets (10^th row), Whitecaps tickets, and a $25 Dairy Queen gift card.

Spaghetti fundraiser March 8 for lifesaving equipment

By Judy Reed

In 2016, there were more than 350,000 instances of sudden cardiac arrest (outside of hospitals), according to the American Heart Association. About 46 percent had CPR performed on them by a bystander, and only 12 percent survived. That might not sound like a high number, but it’s a number that’s climbed over the last several years, thanks to new lifesaving equipment available to paramedics that will automatically do chest compressions. And Cedar Springs Fire and Rescue is trying to raise money to buy the equipment to treat people locally.

According to Cedar Springs Fire Chief Marty Fraser, the department responded to 11 heart attacks in 2016, and two since the first of the year. One of the two did not survive.

Fraser said that each call averages 8 people per call, averaging 60-70 minutes each, and they must do CPR manually. “60-70 minutes is a long time,” he said, adding that manual CPR calls for 120 compressions a minute. He also noted that daytime staffing can also be difficult, with firefighters working during the day.

With an automatic chest compression system, they could do the call with only three people. And the device would keep the patient’s blood circulating, delivering oxygen to organs while waiting for the ambulance to arrive to transport the patient to the hospital.

Algoma Fire and Kent City Fire both have one of these systems, and Algoma brought it to the Cedar Springs City Council to show them how it would help Cedar Springs. The Council then challenged Chief Fraser to do some fundraising for the $15,000 piece of equipment. “We have some money in next year’s budget, but would like to supplement that,” said Fraser.

He also said that the need for the equipment would only increase, with two senior citizens opening in Cedar Springs in the near future.

Their first fundraising event will be a spaghetti dinner on Wednesday, March 8, from 5-8 p.m. at Cedar Springs Big Boy, 13961 White Creek Ave. Tickets are $10 for adults and $7 for children ages 12 and under. Tickets may be purchased from any firefighter or medic. You may also purchase at the door. Call 696-1221 to order tickets. Leave a voicemail, the station will return your call.