By Bryan Boggiano
The city commission approved putting cabinets in parks with AEDs and Stop-The-Bleed kits at their Wednesday, Jan. 11, meeting.
There will be 30 cabinets equipped with emergency, and lifesaving equipment at Betti Stradling Park, Cypress Park, North Community Park, Mullins Park, Sportsplex Park, Riverside Park, Cypress Hammock Park, Kiwanis Park, Dr. Paul’s Dog Park, and the outside of City Hall.
The cabinets will cost $175,550. Monitoring and maintenance services will cost $34,200 over the next two years, both using funds from the American Rescue Plan Act, according to city documents.
For the AEDs, the city plans to spend $105,000 using ARPA funds and funding from a $30,000 grant.
In a presentation to the commission, Fire Chief Michael McNally stated the initiative represents a collaboration between nine different city departments to provide lifesaving equipment that anybody can use.
“This is lifesaving equipment that anybody in the public with basic training, not certification, basic awareness training, can provide,” McNally said.
Based on American Heart Association recommendations, the cabinets would be centrally located throughout the parks.
Each cabinet would be no more than 90 seconds to and from any point in the parks or city hall, assuming the average person jogs at 5 miles per hour.
Parks will have signage directing people to the nearest cabinet.
Cabinets will have an infrared lens to take pictures as they are opened, with automatic notifications to first responders. According to city documents, additional images will be taken and notifications sent if the AED is removed. There will also be an audible alarm with visible lights and an emergency call button.
Dispatch staff will receive notifications if somebody opens a cabinet.
Each AED location will be registered with the mobile app PulsePoint. When dispatch receives a call for CPR, anybody with the app within a 400-yard radius will receive a notification and the nearest AED location.
They will be equipped with a multi-carrier SIM card that will connect to the strongest available signal and are solar-powered or hard-wired electric on corrosion-resistant pedestals. Each device will also have a five-year battery.
The Coral Springs Regional Institute of Public Safety and Coral Springs Community Risk Reduction will host AED awareness and Stop the Bleed training at each site before when the equipment becomes operational.
The city estimates they will receive the AEDs in either May or June. The cabinets are projected to arrive by June 1, and officials expect the equipment to go live by July 1.
“We have a lot to do in the next couple months, we’re extremely excited about this, [and] we know that it’s gonna save lives,” McNally said.
On purchasing the cabinets, Commissioner Metayer-Bowen moved to approve the motion. Vice Mayor Shawn Cerra seconded. It passed unanimously.
On the $105,000 purchase, Commissioner Joshua Simmons moved to approve. Metayer-Bowen seconded. It passed unanimously.
Each year, 350,000 cardiac arrests occur outside hospitals in the United States.
According to the American Heart Association, nine out of 10 cardiac arrest victims who receive a shock from an AED in the first minute survive. An AED will administer a shock only if a patient’s heart rhythm indicates a need.
Send Your News to Coral Springs #1 Award-Winning News Site Here. Don’t miss reading Parkland Talk, Tamarac Talk, Coconut Creek Talk, and Margate Talk.
Author Profile
Related
NewsJanuary 1, 2024BEST OF 2023: Inspiring Fitness Journey Earns Resident National Recognition
NewsNovember 20, 2023Charter School Alum Works Toward Equity For Black Veterans
NewsNovember 16, 2023Coral Springs Joins Regional Climate Effort, Commits to Bold Action Plan for Environmental Resilience
NewsNovember 8, 2023Meet Dr. Juliana Forero: Leading Coral Springs Museum to New Heights with Inclusivity
