The Hamilton County Health Department will provide funding for more than two dozen automated external defibrillators, or AEDs, to the cities of Carmel, Noblesville and Westfield and the towns of Atlanta, Cicero, and Sheridan.
The funding is being disbursed through interlocal agreements with each municipality. An Interlocal between government entities requires support and signatures from the municipal government, and the county commissioners and county council before the health department can disburse the funds.
The AEDs will be placed along popular trails and parks, ensuring a swift response in the event of sudden cardiac emergencies, according to county officials.
“Sudden cardiac arrest is a leading cause of death in the United States, and immediate access to an AED significantly improves the chances of survival,” said Jason LeMaster, administrator for the Hamilton County Health Department. “Having AEDs readily available in high-traffic areas, particularly on public trails, in city parks, and near schools can save lives during those critical moments before emergency medical services arrive.”
The initiative started when the City of Westfield and the Westfield Fire Department launched a crowdfunding campaign to purchase AEDs for its parks.
“Our parks and trails continue to see increased usage and it’s important that residents are equipped with the tools they need during a medical emergency,” said Kayla Arnold, director of Westfield Welcome.
The Hamilton County Health Department responded to Westfield’s request and has since provided each of the communities with $20,000 to install publicly accessible AED stations. The money comes from carry-over monies from an education-related workforce development grant and will be administered through interlocal agreements. Those agreements had to be approved by the Hamilton County Council, which Councilor Mark Hall said was an easy decision.
“I’m living proof that AEDs work,” said Hall, who coded during a heart catheterization in 2004. “I was lucky that I was in the hospital and under the care of medical professionals at the time, but so many others won’t be. These devices literally save lives.”
The AEDs will be housed in climate-controlled cabinets known as SaveStations, which can tolerate extreme weather and will be monitored 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Use of the devices does not require specialized training.
Westfield AED locations
Kayla Arnold, director of Westfield Welcome, said the plan is to have the AEDs in place in early fall. The AEDs will be found at the following locations:
- Grand Junction Plaza
- Midland Trace Trail near Quaker Park
- The south end of the Monon Trail pedestrian bridge over Ind. 32
- The Monon Trail at Greyhound Pass
