Posted by ASSEMBLY DEMOCRATS NEWS RELEASE on June 02, 2006 at 13:45:39:
ASSEMBLY DEMOCRATS NEWS RELEASE
www.assemblydems.com/news.htm
FOR RELEASE:
June 2, 2006
CONTACT:
Assemblywoman Quigley
(201) 217-4614
James Sverapa IV
Assemblyman Sires
(609) 292-7065
(201) 854-0900
QUIGLEY/SIRES INSPECT NJ TRANSIT DEFIBRILLATORS INSTALLED IN SECAUCUS JUNCTION STATION
(SECAUCUS) - Standing on the train platform at the Frank R.
Lautenberg Rail Station, Assemblywoman Joan M. Quigley, Assembly Speaker
Emeritus Albio Sires, and New Jersey Transit Police today inspected the
first of NJ Transit's new emergency defibrillators being installed along the
mass-transit agency's train routes.
"In a crisis, a few wasted seconds can mean the difference
between life and death," said Sires (D-West New York). "With the help of NJ
Transit, we now have access to defibrillators that will enhance the odds of
saving passengers' lives."
Defibrillators are portable electronic instruments that send a
charge through paddles pressed to the chest to electrically re-start a
stopped heart.
Public-access defibrillation programs across the country seek to
reduce the time to defibrillate a patient - improving cardiac survival rates
by placing the life-saving devices in public places such as cas1nos, sports
arenas, airports, airplanes and hotels.
"We are excited about the prospect of being able to improve the
safety and survivability of New Jersey commuters during an emergency," said
Quigley (D-Bergen/Hudson) the chairwoman of the Assembly Homeland Security
and State Preparedness Committee. "It is a shame, though, that this
increased focus on safety comes on the heels of a tragedy."
The Assembly members took on the issue of defibrillators access
on mass transit vehicles in the wake of the March 2 death of Andrzej
Nadolny, a Polish immigrant and father of three, who suffered a fatal heart
attack on a Newark-bound PATH train. It took rescue workers with
potentially life-saving equipment nearly 20 minutes to reach Nadolny, whose
train was diverted to a station closer to an area hospital.
Following reports of Nadolny's unfortunate death, Quigley and
Sires announced their intention to meet with Port Authority of NY/NJ and NJ
Transit officials regarding public access to defibrillators. Since then,
the Port Authority has authorized the purchase and distribution of 1,200
public-access defibrillators along their transit routes.
On Monday, April 17, Sires and Quigley met with NJ Transit
officials, forging an agreement to improve public access to defibrillators
along New Jersey's rail lines.
NJ Transit has agreed to place 65 of their existing
defibrillators in key locations along NJ Transit routes. These
defibrillators are being placed in high traffic areas, like the Secaucus
Junction station, and will be accessible to emergency response teams around
the clock.
Today's inspection marked the installation of the first of these
public access defibrillators. NJ Transit plans to continue installing the
remainder of the units through the summer.
NJ Transit also lent their support to two bills recently
introduced by Quigley and Sires. The first measure (A-3198) would require
NJ Transit, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey - which operates
the PATH trains - and the Delaware River Port Authority - which operates the
PATCO speed line - to place a defibrillator on each train in use on those
rail lines within two years of the legislation's enactment into law. The
second bill (AR-176) would urge the port authorities to include
defibrillators on all trains they operate and provide all first responders
and emergency personnel with training in the use of defibrillator equipment.
"Working together with our mass transit providers, we have taken
a large step toward making commuting in New Jersey a safer experience," said
Quigley.
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James Sverapa IV
Press Secretary
Assembly Majority Office
Ph: 609-292-7065
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