DuPage forest preserve adding defibrillators to golf courses

DuPage County Forest Preserve commissioners decided Tuesday to buy 48 heart defibrillators to have one for all of its police cars, golf courses and buildings.

Each of the district's 24 police vehicles will have one. The district's 16 education buildings will be equipped with them. Six of the defibrillators will be stored at the district's three golf courses. The final two will be stored at the boathouses at the Herrick Lake and Blackwell forest preserves. The district's headquarters in Wheaton is already outfitted with one.

The total price tag for the devices is $47,713, about $1,000 per unit.

About 60 employees will receive advanced CPR training and learn how to use the new devices, officials said.

Commissioners suggested all employees have access to the training and possibly even all of the district's 400 volunteers as well. Forest preserve staff is looking into the cost and feasibility of offering the classes to all employees.

"If we can train all employees, I'd like to do it," said Brent Manning, the district's executive director.

However, the devices don't require an operator to have any lifesaving certification.

"The great thing is it talks to you," said Connie Nielsen, the district's safety, risk and liability coordinator. "So if you don't have CPR training it walks you through it."

When activated, the defibrillators tell the operator to "be calm" and begins explaining how to administer care, Nielsen said.

Forest preserve officials said heart attacks have occurred by users of forest preserve facilities, but they are rare.

"The bottom line is if we save one life it's worth it all," Manning said.

The new devices will arrive June 16, but Nielsen said it could take a few weeks before they are dispersed throughout the district.

"But they will go immediately into the law enforcement vehicles," she said.