KINGSTON – Ulster County Legislature Chairman David Donaldson Monday announced formation of a task force to implement a Heart Safe Program in Ulster County.

The role of the task force, to be chaired by Legislator Robert Parete of Boiceville, will be to consider Ulster County’s role in implementing the Heart Safe Program. The group will work with the American Heart Association, which has recognized the need for more public participation in CPR training and public access and training on defibrillators.

Donaldson said the main idea is to create a much safer community.

“There have been cases where somebody goes into cardiac arrest and there just happens to be somebody who is trained and is able to deal with it very quickly, and it saves their life,” he said. “So, the more people you have trained in our community in greater Ulster County, the better off everyone is.”

The placement of automated external defibrillators in public buildings has been a proven life saver for persons falling victim to a heart attack.