The Talbot Paramedic Foundation is launching their annual direct mail fund drive appeal mailed to homes and businesses in Talbot County. The foundation has become a national leader, along with the Talbot County Department of Emergency Services and other partners in the effort to locate SaveStations in area parks and recreational facilities. Each SaveStation contains a public-access defibrillator (AED) which is available to immediately treat a victim of sudden cardiac arrest.
“Talbot County has taken the lead as the first community SaveStation project in the state of Maryland. As one of the largest such projects in the country, the goal is to place AED equipped SaveStations at recreational locations throughout Talbot County. Each SaveStation ensures that an AED in readily accessible within three minutes from any location in the park. Placing AEDs in our communities and parks allows for a greater chance of survival in these time-critical emergencies,” says Tom Chiccone, MD Talbot County Emergency Services Jurisdictional Medical Director. “It enables bystanders to become our partners in resuscitation and strengthens the chain of survival.”
The foundation also sponsors the Sylvia Gannon and Gary Jones Memorial Scholarships supporting local students pursuing classes related to Emergency Services. In addition, the foundation’s grants have helped the county Department of Emergency Services, as well as Talbot’s volunteer fire department, purchase life-saving EMS equipment such as the LUCAS CPR device, power lift stretchers, and ultrasound devices.
Included with the mailing is material from the Talbot County Department of Emergency Services providing an opportunity to update the medical information freezer form and an enclosed magnet. The form can be placed in a plastic Ziplock bag and when located in the freezer compartment provides important medical information for EMS. The magnet then is placed on the front of the refrigerator near the top so EMS providers can easily identify that the information is available.
Talbot Paramedic Foundation president Wayne Dyott said it is never easy to ask for donations, but his group carefully works to do good things in the community with the donations. “The Talbot Paramedic Foundation has a long history of working toward saving lives by increasing awareness, raising funds, and developing life-saving programs, providing training and encouraging paramedic professionalism,” stated Dyott.
Additional information can be found at the foundation’s website at www.site.talbotparamedic.org.