SMYRNA, Ga. — The Smyrna City Council is considering purchasing about two dozen new automated external defibrillators for public city use.
Under the proposal, 21 new AEDs would be placed around the city at fixed locations and another four would be purchased for use by the Smyrna Fire Department.
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A presentation to the city council proposing the purchase of new defibrillators cited the American Heart Association, saying “every minute counts,” and that adding more of these life-saving devices would help close what the department called a survival gap.
“According to the American Heart Association, each minute without defibrillation lowers survival rates by up to 10%,” the presentation said. “Implementing a Public Access Defibrillation program can triple survival rates to hospital discharge.”
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Under the proposal, adding more defibrillators across the city and to EMS crews would help with improving reliability, deliver essential life-safety coverage in the field for Public Works, Fleet and Parks Maintenance staff to use and would unify the Fire/EMS, Parks & Rec, Public Works and Police departments under “one coherent readiness standard,” while also working as a “civic force multiplier,” with the expanded access.
City officials making the pitch to buy more AEDs said it was a high-value investment that “ranks among the highest cost-effective health interventions” for communities.
Right now, AEDs in the city are placed at the police department, Wolfe Center, Splash Pad at River Line Park, Fox Creek, River Line Park, Recycling Center, Public Works building, Smyrna community Center, Smyrna City Hall and Brawner Hall.
If the proposal passes in the city council, defibrillator packs would also be put in place at Jonquil Park, Brinkley Park, Village Green, the Reed House and the New Tolleson Pool.
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