BALTIMORE, MD--Laurel city is set to receive approximately 100 automated external defibrillators, or AEDs, from a Gaithersburg health company in what local leaders are saying is an unprecedented donation.
"To our knowledge and research, it's one of the biggest donations to a local government or organization anywhere," said Mayor Craig Moe.
The donation of the AEDs, which is scheduled to be formally announced an event scheduled for 11 a.m. Wednesday, Feb. 19 at the Laurel Municipal Center, is coming from Rescue One Training for Life Inc. The private business provides safety training and products to various groups such as schools, businesses and governments.
According to Rescue One CEO Jeremy Gruber, a retired Montgomery County firefighter, AEDs, while not a household term, are key to saving lives in the event of a cardiac arrest.
"AEDs are like a smoke detector or an air bag; it's a safety device you don't need until you do," he said.
An AED can read a person's heart rhythm and render an electric shock needed to restore rhythm in the case of a cardiac arrest, according to the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute.
Gruber said the company has donated other AEDs to school systems and other governments, but that the volume of this donation, which is valued at approximately $125,000, is, in part, to raise awareness for the technology.
"This was a nice opportunity to create awareness and get other people to join in," said Gruber. "Hopefully people will take note and want to get something for themselves, because these programs save lives."
Moe said the city will place the AEDs, valued at $1,250 each, in all city buildings, all 68 Laurel Police squad cars and some other city-owned vehicles.
"I can't say enough about the donation he's made to our community," Moe said.
In addition, stickers with the letters "AED" and a heart emblazoned with a lightning bolt will be placed on all cars with AEDs installed.
According to Laurel Police Chief Richard McLaughlin, placing an AED in each squad car will have a dramatic effect on responding to cardiac arrest incidents within the city limits.
"Time is everything when it comes to cardiac arrest," said McLaughlin, who said the average police response time to an incident is two minutes.