17 AED SaveStations Designed To Save Lives Installed At Howard County Parks

HOWARD COUNTY, MD — More than a dozen automated external defibrillators will be installed in public places across Howard County, officials announced.

Howard County is adding 17 AED SaveStations at regional parks. These SaveStations are designed to house any AED, inside and outside, and allow for 24-hour access to the life-saving units. Park visitors can quickly and easily locate one of the AEDs by using the PulsePoint AED app, which can be downloaded for free from Apple’s App Store or from the Google Play app store.

Each Howard County park ranger vehicle also is equipped with an AED and every park ranger has been trained on how to use an external defibrillator.

"For every minute that someone is in sudden cardiac arrest, their chance of survival can decrease to between 7 and 10 percent. Tragically, across our nation, survival from sudden cardiac arrest is only around 10 percent. We are taking another step forward in being a model community for cardiac arrest survival by placing AEDs in more locations throughout the county to ensure bystanders and loved ones have the means to act fast to improve a sudden cardiac arrest patients’ survival. We can save more lives because we know that every second matters," Howard County Executive Calvin Ball said at a news conference.

"Our Howard County-owned parks and indoor facilities welcome millions of people each year. The AEDs in our facilities, in every park ranger vehicle and these 17 new outdoor units in our parks help ensure more people may survive a cardiac event," added Nick Mooneyhan, director of the Howard County Department of Recreation & Parks.

Deb Hennig, president and co-founder of SaveStation, said that when sudden cardiac arrest happens, people must rely on others around them to step in and help.

"Placing AEDs in outdoor SaveStations significantly increases the chance of survival by making these life-saving devices accessible to anyone, at any time. We’re very excited to see these life-saving devices being made publicly accessible 24/7 throughout Howard County,” Henning said at the news conference.

Through Howard County’s AED program, approximately 100 AEDs have been installed in Howard County Police Department patrol vehicles and at each HCPD facility. Oftentimes, police officers are the first to arrive at the scene of an emergency.

“The police department is proud to be another key player in Howard County’s commitment to making AEDs widely available,” Howard County Police Chief Gregory Der said at the news conference. “Currently, all police facilities and nearly 50 percent of our patrol vehicles are equipped with AEDs. This means our officers can be on scene with this life-saving equipment in a matter of moments.”

County officials also encourage those who work and live in Howard County to sign up for the department of fire and rescue service's free, non-certification CPR classes. Designed for residents aged 12 and older, participants will learn Hands-Only CPR for adult victims, CPR for adults, children and infants, AED usage and choking relief. For residents interested in learning CPR but are unable to attend one of DFRS’s classes in person, the department also offers virtual presentations, which can be found on its “CPR training” section of its website.

“In sudden cardiac arrest, every second counts,” Howard County Fire Chief Louis Winston said. “Whether it’s by calling 911, starting CPR or applying an AED, members of our community can play an important part in the chain of survival and help slow down the clock that ultimately saves lives.”