Lifesaving Automatic External Defibrillators (AED's) have been deployed at major public recreation and similar venues, senior facilities, as well as significant city work sites and facilities. Deployment occurs as devices are received and as appropriate staff is properly trained, and the new American Heart Association CPR training is completed.

These AED's have been a personal quest by Hofbauer, a licensed California Paramedic for nearly 30 years, who has witnessed first hand the life-saving action of these machines. "There's a number of people I can think of that are alive today as a direct result of prompt defibrillation administed by myself or my partner on an emergency." Steve still vividly recalls a response to the home of a young father with chest pain, that, moments after he and fellow firefighters arrived on scene, suddenly collapses in cardiac arrest in front of his wife and little daughter. "I will never forget the look on that little girl's face, fearing that her daddy just died," Steve recalls. "God, I thought, if you're ever going to let me save somebody, make this the one!" Moments later, the man opens his eyes, having been saved by immediate defibrillation.

Other jurisdictions have been deploying AED's (Automatic External Defibrillators) for he past few years. Simple to use for even an untrained civilian, (formal training only takes a few hours, but in reality, voice prompts and images can prompt one through the process), numerous "saves" have been documented by trained and untrained volunteers.

Steve is the City of Palmdale's delegate to the Desert/Mountain Division of the League of Califonia Cities, a state-wide organization representing cities thoughout the High Desert and the Eastern Sierras. Through the League, Steve was appointed to the state-wide Public Safety Policy Committee, tasked to monitor, evaluate, formulate, and support (or oppose) state legislation impacting public safety issues in local communities. Steve is also on the Trauma Center Committee and the Gang and Graffiti Task Force for the League, as well as the Palmdale delegate to the Contract Cities Association, and sits on their Legislative Committee.

In these forums and at the State level, Steve advocated in favor of AB 1507 to provide for the installation of AED's in health studios. Steve related dozens of responses to gyms and similar facilities, often the scene of sudden cardiac arrest. This legislation was signed into law September 2005, and requires the installation and maintenance of AED's at health studios, and provides immunity to the facilities.

With the passage of this legislation, Steve had the necessary supportive material to go back to the city and sucessfully request that these lifesaving devices be budgeted for, along with appropriate training for staff members. After all, if private facilities must have them, why not ours?

Although these devices won't save everyone that suffers a sudden heart attack, a significant number of deaths are the result of ventricular fibrillation, which is highly reversible if shocked promptly. No longer will city staff or members of the public be helpless to act definitively when faced with a patron, co-worker or other citizen collapses in cardiac arrest.