Coral Springs Installs Cabinets for AEDs and Bleed Control Kits

Looking to instill a sense of safety, security, and wellness in its city and provide its park visitors with the means to help do so, Coral Springs, Florida is installing 30 outdoor cabinets for AEDs and bleeding control kits at 10 parks and city hall – which hosts many events on its outdoor law area – by mid-summer.  

According to the American Heart Association (AHA), more than 350,000 cardiac arrests occur outside of the hospital each year. In 2020, any-mention sudden cardiac arrest mortality in the US was 436,852. CPR, especially if administered immediately after cardiac arrest, can double or triple a person’s chance of survival, the AHA notes.

Cardiac Arrests in Coral Springs

During fiscal year 2022, there was a total of 88 cardiac arrests in the City of Coral Springs and Parkland. 

Coral Springs utilized American Rescue Plan Act funding to secure and install the AED and bleeding control kits which were sourced from Advocates For Health in Sartell, Minnesota. It was less expensive than other choices and offered more options, notes Mike McNally, Coral Springs-Parkland Fire Department fire chief. 

“It gives you a picture on the screen that shows you what to do,” McNally says. “The pads that come with this are the same for adult and pediatric use. It makes it a lot easier for the public to be able to have it and not have to worry about if they did it right or wrong.”

Cabinets for AEDs and bleeding control kits

The AEDs are housed in cabinets affixed to poles enabling park visitors the ability to call 911 for cardiac arrest or other emergencies 24/7 and providing advanced lifesaving measures by accessing an AED and bleeding control kit before paramedics arrive. 

The user-friendly device offers automated step-by-step instructions.  

Outdoor cabinets will either be wall-mounted with hardwired electricity or placed on pedestals with solar power at the parks. The poles have a blue light that when activated will flash to alert responders.  

Placement selection was based on park size and citizen usage, such as the several parks used for sporting events as well as one dog park.  

Signage in the park will direct people to the nearest cabinet.  

“The way we set them up is we want them visible and make sure they’re accessible,” says McNally, adding the American Heart Association’s recommendation is a travel distance of 90 seconds to the pole from anywhere in the park, assuming an average jogging time of four to six miles an hour.  

The cabinets have an infrared lens to take pictures as they are opened, automatically notifying first responders, and alerting the call center monitoring the cabinet. Additional images will be taken and notifications sent if the AED is removed. The cabinets include an audible alarm with visible lights and an emergency call button. The cabinet temperature also can be monitored. 

McNally stocked a few extra units as replacement backups in case of theft. 

The cost of the pedestals and cabinets is less than $6,000 each, the monitoring service is $47.50 per month per cabinet, the AEDs are $2,000 apiece and each bleeding control kit is $65.  

Each cabinet will be equipped with a multi-carrier SIM card connecting to the strongest available signal.  

Each location of the AED will be registered with PulsePoint, a free app alerting users in a designated radius when someone needs CPR.  

Maintenance costs include monitoring, inspection, testing, certification services, and repair and replacement of cabinets and cabinet parts.  

The unit has a five-year lifespan on the pads and batteries. The software enables the city’s fire-rescue department to collect data to help push out more education.

Education and Training

To overcome public reticence in using the AED and bleeding control kits, McNally’s department has engaged in an extensive education campaign before the units become operational. There are QR codes on the pedestals which when scanned pull up instructional videos for those interested in learning more in case they’d have to use them at some point. 

Training also is provided to the police, parks and recreation employees as well as those in public works who may be present in any park at which there may be a medical incident.  

The biggest message McNally and his team emphasize in educational efforts is that an AED will not deliver a shock if the heart rhythm does not indicate a need for it. They also emphasize that on the other hand, when it detects ventricular fibrillation (VF) or pulseless ventricular tachycardia (VT), it can help save a life. 

Many states have Good Samaritan laws to encourage bystanders to render help to those in need as hesitating is often a life or death matter, points out John Whalen, Coral Springs-Parkland Fire Department deputy chief of operations.  

McNally credits the success of the city’s AED and bleeding control kits to a team effort involving the city’s GIS team, parks and recreation employees, legal, purchasing, communications, and marketing, and the support of the city’s elected officials.  

The project took four years from start to finish. 

“Initially we needed to determine a way to have the AEDs secured and visible,” says McNally. “Once we determined the means, we needed to determine the funding source. We then worked through options, the procurement process, and with legal on a contract.”    

McNally emphasizes that financial investment yields the benefit of saving lives, citing the AHA statistic that 90 percent of cardiac arrest victims receiving a shock from an AED in the first minute survive. 

The National Institutes of Health estimates AEDs may save up to 1,700 lives annually. 

Whalen said the foundation for any municipality entity to start such a program is to have the financing to execute it. McNally invites those in other fire-rescue operations to contact him for more information on initiating and executing the process.