Riverside FD helps Little Leagues get access to defibrillators

Riverside Little Leaguers and their families now have access to possibly life-saving health care equipment, thanks to a donation from the a local charitable foundation and the Riverside Fire Department.

Riverside firefighters and staff from the Riverside Medical Clinic Charitable Foundation presented automated external defibrillators, or AEDs, to seven local youth baseball leagues on July 15 during a “Game Changers” event at Don Jones Park, home of the Pachappa Little League. The ceremony coincided with the championship game of the 2024 Southern California 8-10 Division Softball Tournament.

The defibrillators will be in snack bars at league fields and available for use in the event of a cardiac emergency at:

• Arlington Little League, Arlington Heights Sports Complex;
• Arlanza Little League, Bryant Park;
• La Sierra Little League, La Sierra Park;
• Magnolia Center Little League, Shamel Park;
• Orangecrest Little league, Orange Terrance Community Park;
• Pachappa Little League, Don Jones Park; and
• Reid Park Little League, Reid Park.

“The Riverside Fire Department is proud to partner with RMCCF to get this equipment in the hands of our local Little Leagues,” Chief Michael Moore said in a statement. “Working together, we can be better prepared as a community for potential cardiac events and improve outcomes when they do occur.”

The donation was part of Riverside Project Heart, which aims to ensure that each Little League in Riverside has access to the medical equipment, which can significantly improve a person’s chance of surviving a heart attack or cardiovascular problem. Each youth sports league will host CPR and AED training sessions for their boards and coaches.

“This has been an amazing partnership to bring these resources to our city,” RMCCF Executive Director Lynda Bailey said in a statement. “It is truly a testament to small conversations becoming big ideas.”

Mayor Patricia Lock Dawson said in a statement, “Our Fire Department sees every day the importance of quick action in dealing with medical emergencies, including heart attacks. I’m proud that our department has gone above and beyond to help better prepare our community through this innovative partnership with RMCCF.”

AEDs are crucial to saving lives when heart-related emergencies occur. Immediate CPR and defibrillation within the first few minutes of a heart attack or stroke can more than double a person’s chance of survival — 9 in 10 people who suffer a cardiac arrest and receive an AED shock within the first minute survive, according to the American Heart Association. 

Sudden cardiac arrest is a leading cause of death in the United States. While more than 350,000 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests happen annually, a person who follows the instructions provided by the AED prior to the arrival of emergency medical responders may increase the survival rate by 2 to 3 times.

Grant funding for this initiative was from Riverside Community Health Foundation, Riverside Men’s Breakfast Forum and the RMCCF’s general fund. To donate or for more information, visit RMCcharity.org.

Project Heart

The Riverside Fire Department RMCCF began Project Heart in 2021 to bring life-saving medical equipment to public locations in the city.

The initiative also includes PulsePoint, “a system that alerts registered responders of nearby cardiac emergencies and informs callers of nearby lifesaving devices, such as an AED,” according to a city statement. “The Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) telecommunicators play a critical role in the cardiac arrest chain of survival, providing timely information and support.”

To boost the number of CPR-certified PulsePoint responders, the foundation’s American Heart Association-certified instructors offer CPR/AED Courses for community members. Instruction options include a 4-hour HeartSaver Course on adult, child and infant interventions for AHA certification and a brief HeartSaver Introductory Course that focuses on adult intervention only.

Hands-only CPR classes also take place at educational events throughout the year.

“These various CPR offerings are provided free of charge in vulnerable neighborhoods within Riverside,” officials said. “RMCCF is dedicated to raising funds to install 100 AEDs per year in the community, ensuring this valuable resource is available throughout Riverside.”

RMCCF has agreed to be the only funding source for PulsePoint for an initial three-year agreement with the city.