Event Coverage
SILVAR Realtors and affiliates donate defibrillator to Cupertino Sheriff’s Office
Thanks to Realtors and affiliates of the Sunnyvale/Cupertino/Santa Clara District, the Santa Clara County Sheriff's Department now has a defibrillator for the Cupertino Sheriff's Office. The $1,988 HeartStart FRx defibrillator was purchased with proceeds from the District's Golf Tournament and BBQ held in August, 2006.
A defibrillator is a medical device designed to shock the heart back to a normal rhythm. It consists of a central unit and a set of electrodes. The central unit provides a source of power and control. The electrodes are placed directly on the patient. It is a life-saving device because cardiac arrest is a sudden condition that is fatal if not treated within a few minutes.
Captain Terry Calderon of the Cupertino Sheriff's Office accepted the defibrillator for Santa Clara Sheriff Laurie Smith and thanked Realtors and affiliates for their generous gift. With the aid of a defibrillator, there is an 80 percent resuscitation chance for victims of cardiac arrest, compared with just a 20 percent chance with the performance of regular CPR, said Calderon.
Calderon said the county is in great need of defibrillators and could use at least four more. Ideally, he said it would be good to have a defibrillator for each community. He indicated the defibrillator given by SILVAR members will be in the supervisor's car at all times and will greatly increase the survival chance of cardiac arrest victims.
Nikki Miller Maroko presented the defibrillator to Captain Calderon on behalf of the District. Julianne Brawner of Health Education Services, which distributes the machine, explained that the District purchased the latest model, which is easy to use, has voice prompts, analyzes a patient's need for the treatment and can also be synchronized for use on children.
Maroko said the District learned about the county's need for the machine when Don Johnson, Director/Chief of Police in Sunnyvale, spoke at a District meeting last year and told Realtors and affiliates of the county sheriff department's need for the device.
"We are glad to help. We hope they don't have to use it, but if a case arises and they do, we're glad that they will now have it and have a greater chance of saving lives," said Maroko.
The Silicon Valley Association of REALTORS® (SILVAR) is a professional trade organization representing over 4,000 REALTORS® and Affiliate members engaged in the real estate business on the Peninsula and in the South Bay. SILVAR promotes the highest ethical standards of real estate practice, serves as an advocate for homeownership and homeowners, and represents the interests of property owners in Silicon Valley.
The term "REALTOR®" is a registered collective membership mark which identifies a real estate professional who is a member of the National Association of REALTORS® and who subscribes to its strict Code of Ethics.
For further information, please email or call the SILVAR office at (408) 200-0100.