PORT ANGELES — Heart disease is the No. 1 killer in the United States.
But one of the most significant advances in medical technology for the masses can increase a person’s chances of surviving a heart attack.
It’s called an automatic electric defibrillator, or AED. It has brought life-saving capability to the general public.
Staff at the Sequim Aquatic and Recreation Center used an AED machine to save the life of Port of Port Angeles Commissioner Bill Hannan when he went into cardiac arrest at the pool building Oct. 22.
“I’m certainly a true believer in those machines,” Hannan said.
It was Hannan who persuaded the Port staff to buy a $1,300 AED after he returned to his Port commissioner duties following his heart attack.
“I lobbied for it. I brought it up in first or second meeting I was back. (Commissioner) Leonard Beil is a true believer, too,” Hannan said.
“So with two of three commissioners in favor of it, we went ahead and got one.”
Training demonstration
Port headquarters are now one of a very few sites in Port Angeles to a life-saving device.
Port employees gathered in the commissioners’ meeting room on Monday for a training demonstration from Port Angeles Fire Department shift captain Duke Moroz.
“These are great, very simple to use,” Moroz told the group.
“The voice prompts tell you what to do.
“You can’t hurt someone with this machine. It won’t let you do anything wrong.”