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OUC Equips Buildings With Life-Saving Devices ORLANDO (March 16, 2000) – For the safety of its customers and employees, OUC—The Reliable One has equipped its largest facilities with life-saving devices called Automated External Defibrillators. The machines can greatly improve the chances of survival for a victim of sudden cardiac arrest. "We hope we never have to use these devices," says Ray Scullian, OUC’s director of safety and risk management. "But if the situation arises, we may be able to save a life." Defibrillators were delivered to OUC’s downtown administration building and Gardenia Avenue facility – both of which operate busy customer service centers – as well as to OUC’s Pershing Operations Center and Stanton Energy Center. More than 30 employees at the four sites have been trained to use the devices. Defibrillators work by giving the heart a controlled electric shock, forcing all of the heart muscles to contract at once and, hopefully, jolting it back into a regular rhythm. Bob Haven, OUC’s general manager and CEO, quickly recognized the need for equipping the OUC locations with defibrillators, just in case an OUC customer or employee suffers sudden cardiac arrest, commonly called a "heart attack." When used immediately after an attack and before paramedics arrive, the devices can dramatically improve a victim’s condition. "If these devices are not used, every minute that passes can decrease a victim’s survival rate by 10 percent," Scullian says. "These machines, combined with the CPR and first-aid training that many OUC employees already have, make us considerably more prepared for emergencies." OUC, owned by the City of Orlando, is the nation’s 19th largest municipal utility and one of Florida’s top performers in electric reliability. OUC provides electricity and water services to about 158,000 customers in Orlando, St. Cloud and parts of Orange and Osceola counties.
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