Metra Installing Defibrillators on all its trains

Announces partnership with Northwestern Medicine and RTA to outfit 300 AEDs on Metra trains 

 

Thanks to a grant from the Regional Transportation Authority, the sponsorship of Northwestern Medicine and the support of Gov. Pat Quinn, Metra has begun to install automatic external defibrillators (AEDs) on all its trains and will be finished by the end of January. The installation was announced Thursday at a press conference at Millennium Station featuring Gov. Quinn, Metra Chairman Brad O’Halloran and other officials.

 

Metra was awarded an RTA Innovation, Coordination and Enhancement (ICE) grant for $670,125 to fund the purchase of the AEDs. Metra was able to save money by piggybacking on an existing state of Illinois contract for defibrillators with Cardiac Science Corp. to purchase 440 AEDs and related mounting cabinets and hardware. In addition to being placed on about 300 Metra cars, AEDs are being placed in major Metra work facilities and in its police vehicles. Cardiac Science generously donated 30 additional AEDs to Metra. 

 

Today’s announcement follows Governor Quinn’s long advocacy of expanding access to emergency defibrillators, which are proven to save lives by shortening medical response times. 

 

“Having AEDs readily available on Metra cars will save lives,” Governor Quinn said. “By being prepared, we can be ready to respond swiftly and safely in the unfortunate event of a medical emergency. By working together, we can get these critical devices in public spaces everywhere.” 

 

Northwestern Medicine’s sponsorship of the AEDs will help offset the costs of training about 1,000 staff members and maintaining the units for five years. 

 

“Cardiac arrest can strike at anytime in any place,” said Amer Aldeen, MD, Northwestern Medicine emergency medicine physician and director of the Chicago Cardiac Arrest Resuscitation Education Service. “In those situations, every moment counts and the swifter the intervention the better prospects there are for survival. Northwestern Medicine is thrilled to partner with Metra and RTA to raise awareness about the importance of AEDs and surviving cardiac arrest. This initiative is a step in the right direction and an enhancement toward Metra passengers’ safety.” 

 

“The RTA is excited to be able to offer funding from its ICE program that will supply life-saving equipment in the event of a medical emergency, as we are committed to enhancing and improving the quality of public transportation,” said Leanne Redden, RTA Senior Deputy Executive Director of Planning. 

 

“We are grateful to the RTA and Northwestern Medicine for giving us the means to place these critical devices on our trains and in our facilities and police cars,” said Metra Chairman Brad O’Halloran. “We hope we will never have to use one of these AEDs, but we are glad to know they are now available in case of an emergency. In the coming months, Metra and Northwestern will be working together to raise awareness about CPR, AEDs and heart health issues, and we are excited about this opportunity.” 

 

Work to install the AEDs on trains began this fall. The devices are being placed near the bathrooms in all of the cab cars for the 10 Metra lines that use diesel locomotives. (The cab car is the passenger car at the end of the train that includes controls for engineers to operate the train on inbound trips, when the locomotive is at the other end pushing the train into downtown.) 

 

The Metra Electric line uses different equipment than the diesel lines. On the old Highliner cars, AEDs are being placed near the engineer compartment of every odd-numbered car. On the new Highliner cars, which are now being introduced to the line, they are being placed near the bathrooms on every odd-numbered car. 

 

Every train will have at least one AED, since every train has at least one cab car or odd numberer Highliner car.