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Men's Club Investment Helps Save A Life

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By PAUL CATALA The Sun

The Tampa Tribune

Published: December 17, 2008

The devices are small and relatively inexpensive, but their uses have become invaluable when it comes to saving lives, including one last month.

Four years ago, The Men's Club of Sun City Center Florida Inc. bought the first Automated External Defibrillators (AED) for popular locales in Sun City Center through $14,000 in private and organization donations. AEDs are portable electronic devices used through defibrillation, the application of electrical therapy, which stops a heart beating out of rhythm, allowing the heart to re-establish an effective pace and preventing a heart attack.

In early November, through $4,900 in donations, the Men's Club bought three more, bringing the total to 30 AEDs located in Sun City Center.

And one of those AEDs helped revive Walter Schmaedecke Nov. 2.

That night, Schmaedecke, 80, had gone to a production in the Community Hall with his wife, Dee. At intermission, he went to the men's room and suddenly fell to the floor.

Immediately, help was called for and Sun City Center Emergency Squad EMT Bob Mulcahy, a retired special forces command sergeant major who was at the production, was called in. Along with squad member Chuck Russ and Judy Lamb, a licensed nurse practitioner, an AED in the hall was located and Mulcahy, who trains others to use the machine, used it on Schmaedecke, who registered no pulse.

"It turns itself on and I told everyone to clear away," Mulcahy said. "I pushed the shock button and immediately after, I got a strong pulse."
Emergency Squad ambulances and rescue vehicles from Hillsborough County Fire Rescue showed up and Schmaedecke, who came to Sun City Center 12 years ago from Cleveland, Ohio, was taken to South Bay Hospital. There, he had bypass surgery and is now recovering - thanks to the Men's Club investment.

"He has to go to a therapist three times a week, but he's at home and it's going to take time to get him back on his feet," said Dee Schmaedecke. "We're thankful for the devices."

That incident has only reinforced Men's Club and Community Association members of the importance in the life-saving investments.

Paul Wheat, Community Association president and a member of the Men's Club, said the fact one life was saved has made all the purchases worthwhile. He said each of the each of the AEDs cost about $1,600 each and are ordered from companies in Tampa and out of state.

"I don't think we have all we need yet. They're needed pretty much everywhere," said Wheat, who added there are plans to buy more in the near future.

Some of the locations AEDs are currently available include the Episcopal, Community and Methodist churches, the Kings Point main and South clubhouses, the front gate; the Emergency Squad station and seven areas in the WCI facilities, including the golf and racquet club and six golf shops.

To use them, Wheat said all Community Association staff members are required to get training on them each year.

"The important thing is they saved a life," Wheat said. "They're well worth having around."

Reporter Paul Catala can be reached at (813) 865-1554 or pcatala@mediageneral.com.

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