Spearfish launches public access AED project across city locations
SPEARFISH, S.D. (KEVN) - The health of everyone in a community is crucial, no matter the person, and the Spearfish Community Foundation acknowledged this on Tuesday by officially kicking off its new community project.
With sudden cardiac arrest being the leading cause of death in the US, according to Advocates for Health, the Spearfish Community Foundation kicked off the first phase of their Public Access AED Community Project, placing 11 automated external defibrillator towers around the city to help save lives if anyone in the community were to need one.
“The average age of a cardiac arrest person that has one is about 45 years old, and so we are not just targeting the seniors of our community; we’re targeting anybody who lives, works, plays, and visits here in Spearfish. We want to be able to have those units available in order to save those lives,” explained Spearfish Community Foundation president Susan Konstant.
The AED towers are lit up at night in order to stand out. These towers are for emergency use and should not be opened or taken out unless needed. The tower is equipped with a camera that will take pictures when opened and when the AED is taken out, along with an alarm system that will go off when opened. The tower is also equipped with a Stop the Bleeding Kit.
The 11 locations that these towers are placed at are:
- Spearfish City Campground
- City Park
- Spartan Park
- Brady Park
- Downtown Public Restrooms
- Lions Park
- Sawmill Youth Sports Complex
- Spearfish Rec & Aquatics Center
- Jorgensen Park
- Evans Park
- Black Hills Energy Sports Complex
Five portable AED units are also available for checkout through the Spearfish Rec & Aquatics Center.
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