Public Accessible Life-Saving Equipment Installations at Parks and Trail Systems

About the Program

Category: Parks and Recreation (Best in Category)

Year: 2021

Our Harford County residents and citizens throughout the United Sates are adopting a healthier lifestyle and are now more actively involved in many outdoor activities to include hiking, biking, kayaking, climbing, running, and walking. All of our children have more choices in sports such as baseball, football, lacrosse and soccer. This lifestyle has enabled thousands of people to visit our hundreds of acres of parks and miles of trail systems. Inherent with this however, comes the likelihood of injury and the need for emergency equipment readily available to treat those injuries and any life threatening issues. 911 Public Safety Dispatch Centers (911PSD) provide Emergency Medical Dispatch Instructions to citizens calling 911 for medical issues. If life-saving equipment is available, the 911 PSD can instruct the caller how to access and use the equipment. It has been demonstrated over time, the more quickly care is rendered to a victim, the greater the likelihood of their survival. To facilitate our citizens having access to this emergency equipment, in January, 2021, the Harford County Department of Parks and Recreation began a program to add Automated External Defibrillators (AED) in all-weather protected enclosures in their parks and on their trail systems. Also contained within these enclosures are Stop the Bleed Kits (STB), Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and Narcan. The addition of this life-saving equipment provides our residents with a safe environment in which to enjoy outdoor activities and further provides an added sense of safety and well-being for our residents with pre-existing medical conditions so they may safely enjoy our parks and trails.