Washington Twp. Resident Donates Defibrillators to Town

Washington Township resident Bob Stickel donated four automated external defibrillators to the town for public sports fields last week.

Stickel is the president of Lifesavers, Inc., a company which sells AEDs and associated medical equipment. He also donated an AED to the Washington Township Fire Department last year.

Having AEDs at sports fields is important because cardiac arrest can be triggered by a blow to the chest, even to a young athlete, according to Stickel. Using the device raises survival rates from 5 percent to 74 percent, according to the American Heart Association.

The device "speaks" to users and gives instructions on how to use it while also diagnosing whether or not a shock is needed, according to Stickel, so the user doesn't even need to make the decision of whether or not to.

Have a question or news tip? Contact editor Jim Leggate at Jim.Leggate@patch.com, or find us on Facebook and Twitter. For news straight to your inbox, sign up for our daily newsletter.