DEMOREST — Those who experience a sudden cardiac event while in Demorest soon will have an additional resource to help.
During Tuesday night's city council meeting, Police Chief Robin Krockum proposed adding three automated external defibrillators to patrol vehicles so that officers have the resource should they arrive on the scene of an emergency before an ambulance or fire department responders.
"One of the things that I have stressed over the last couple of years is the cross training between the police department and the fire department," said Mayor Rick Austin. "They often times are working in concert with one another on a myriad of types of situations.
"Right now our police force are undergoing CPR training and just recently had an opportunity where they were in training and had to respond to a call and then utilize the training they were receiving and then render aid to an individual until the EMTs were able to arrive," Austin said.
Taking it a step further, Fire Chief Ken Ranalli said his department has items that have been declared surplus that he wants to sell to fund the purchase of an additional AED to be placed in downtown Demorest for use in an emergency at the post office, museum or other nearby location.
"Chief Krockum presented to us tonight the thought that it would be nice to have AEDs in our police vehicles," Austin said. "Chief Ranalli talked about the fact that in addition to that it would be nice to have one in city hall with notice in the post office that an AED is available there."
Austin said the city's public safety department heads recognizing the need for and figuring ways to purchase needed items to improve the safety and quality of life for residents exemplifies the kind of city Demorest wants to be. The purchases will be made without having to go outside the departments' budgets.
"As I stated tonight, the city of Demorest was voted the safest city in the state of Georgia last year," Austin said. "I think this just adds to that safety, it adds to the public benefit and the public service that we have here, and I think it's an extraordinary idea from our public safety officials to have these AED devices to be ready and available, and personnel that are appropriately trained so that we can serve our citizens to the best of our ability."
http://accesswdun.com/article/2017/3/509779/demorest-will-add-aeds-to-improve-safety-for-residents-visitors