The Chicago HeartSave ProgramTM May Go Nationwide
(CHICAGO) November, 2000 – It’s the middle of a bustling terminal, and a heart attack strikes one of the millions of passengers that travel through Midway and O’Hare each year. A couple of years ago, that person would have to wait for medical personnel to arrive before receiving treatment. But now, help is just a minute away, thanks to the Chicago HeartSave ProgramTM.
In 1999, O’Hare International Airport and Midway Airport became the first airports in the nation to install Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs). Now, one Illinois Representative is leading the charge in Congress to require AEDs in more than 200 airports in the United States.
Representative William Lipinski (D-Ill), who serves on the House of Representatives’ aviation subcommittee, has drafted proposed legislation that would require that all airports with more than 100,000 annual enplanements place AEDs in terminals, make AEDs eligible for Airport Improvement Program (AIP) funding, and would allow the Federal Aviation Administration to decide how many AEDs are needed per square feet. Congressman Lipinski is expected to introduce the proposed legislation in the House when it reconvenes in September.
Since the award-winning Chicago HeartSave ProgramTM was launched, six lives at O’Hare International Airport and two at Midway Airport have been saved thanks to the AEDs. The machines are located within one-minute walk from one another throughout terminals and concourses at O’Hare and Midway. They’re clearly marked on signs displaying a red heart symbol.
The Chicago HeartSave ProgramTM serves as a model to other airports around the nation who have recognized the need for these lifesaving devices. Most recently, Baltimore Washington International Airport installed 28 AEDs throughout the airport and 120 AEDs will be installed at Los Angeles International, Ontario International, Palmdale Regional and Van Nuys airports.
