Sept. 30, 2021
EASTON — In an innovative move to make public access automatic external defibrillators accessible at recreational areas in Talbot County, the Talbot Paramedic Foundation, Team Trace and Talbot County Department of Emergency Services are partnering to install heated, ventilated and fully monitored SaveStations containing AEDs at North Easton Park. Plans are to install outdoor defibrillator SaveStations at four locations within the park making an AED available within approximately three minutes in the event of a sudden cardiac arrest.
SaveStation installations are made possible through the grateful assistance of the team’s partners: Easton Utilities, Town of Easton Public Works, Town of Easton Parks and Recreation Department, Easton Parks Advisory Board, and Gunther’s Electric Inc.
SaveStation AED cabinets house life-saving AEDs that are clearly marked for public use. The technology built into the SaveStation allows for 24/7 monitoring of the AED to ensure it is always “ready for rescue” and will take a picture when the cabinet is opened. This cabinet also keeps the AED warm in the winter and cool in the summer.
Talbot County has been a leader in community access AED and CPR outreach. This SaveStation project is a first for any Maryland county and one of the most ambitious in the country. Plans are being developed to install additional Save Stations at all recreational facilities and in communities throughout Talbot County.
Both Talbot County Paramedic Foundation (Talbotparamedic.org/donate-now) and Team Trace (Teamtrace.org/donate) are actively engaged in fundraising. For additional information, please contact one of those organizations.
Easton Mayor Robert Willey said, “This is another one of those projects that helps make Easton a little bit better place to live. We still have other locations to place AEDs. This is a worthy project and hopefully, AED training can be offered to all coaches to make them familiar with how the devices operate. If this AED defibrillator saves one life, they’ve more than paid for themselves.”
The Talbot Paramedic Foundation’s goal is to increase access of AEDs throughout the county. There are currently over 200 AEDs in Talbot County located at various businesses, schools, government facilities, and other locations sponsored through the Talbot Paramedic Foundation. Moving AEDs into SaveStations will enhance their availability to the public. The Foundation works closely with the Talbot DES and with the County Council on various projects that support the goal of improving emergency services in the county.
Team Trace is a 501(c)(3) charity focused on helping improve outcomes for children with congenital heart disease by raising awareness, funding research and providing community outreach. Team Trace has donated more than $400,000 toward research and community outreach efforts. In 2019, in collaboration with Talbot County Department of Emergency Services, Team Trace kicked of an initiative focused on ensuring Talbot County parks, schools and sports fields have AEDs installed and in line with the gold standard for timing of incident to defibrillation.
Talbot County Department of Emergency Services provides a robust public CPR education and community AED outreach. Talbot DES will connect the SaveStations directly into the Emergency Services system while providing public awareness and outreach for citizen CPR programs.