Smith County Emergency Medical Services, with the assistance of Smith County Mayor Michael Nesbitt, recently procured Grant Funding to purchase AEDs (Automated External Defibrillators). With this funding, the purchase of 19 AEDs was made possible.
The AED’s will be placed into service with law enforcement officers at the Smith County Sheriff’s Department, Carthage Police Department, South Carthage Police Department and Gordonsville Police Department. Officers in all four departments will carry the AEDs in their Patrol Units and respond with Smith County EMS on medical calls in their jurisdiction where the use of an AED might be needed. They hope that this will decrease response times to these types of calls and help to increase the survival rate in Smith County for those who may suffer a Sudden Cardiac Arrest.
AEDs will also be placed with some Emergency Medical Responders (EMRs) that do not currently have an AED available to them. EMRs are volunteers who are off duty EMS or 911 employees, members of one of our county or city fire departments or members of the Smith County Rescue Squad. EMRs are state licensed and can provide a basic skill level of patient care until the arrival of EMS.
“Smith County EMS is very thankful that we were successful in procuring this grant funding so that we, with the help of Law Enforcement county-wide and our volunteer EMRs, can provide the most rapid response to the Citizens of Smith County possible for calls of this nature,” EMS/911 Director Jeff Crockett said.
“These additional AEDs will help to get as many AEDs out in the county and in the cities as we can,” Crockett went on to say. “We hope to be able to procure additional grant funding in the future to purchase more AEDs, to increase the number of AEDs that are available. I am fortunate to be able to work with department heads in emergency services in Smith County who are willing to work together and do everything we can for Smith County.”
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