Worthington adding public AEDs to community spaces

WORTHINGTON, Ohio (WCMH) – The City of Worthington is trying to make it easier for community members to access automated external defibrillators (AEDs) in case they are needed in emergency situations.

For senior softball players whose games take place at McCord Park, the importance of the potentially lifesaving devices hits close to home.

“We have a little bit of a history with it," Steve Midura, commissioner of the 75 league, said.

He said for the past eight years, the senior leagues have had an AED of their own. A former player insisted they had one, according to Midura. It's been used twice.

“Over the last eight years we’ve actually brought two people back from dead from what I understand," Midura said.

These were scary but successful incidents with the AED, and now the city of Worthington is increasing access to them. One has been put up in a weatherproof case on the wall of the building in between the four fields at McCord park.

“Parks and Recreation is important for a lot of reasons, but when we’re talking life or death and the health of our users that's something no one should take lightly and so hearing people have been through that, they know the benefits of something like an AED just makes the project all the much more important," Darren Hurley, Parks and Recreation director in Worthington.

Parks and Recreation and the Worthington Division of Fire and EMS teamed up to make this happen. The AEDs are being added to parks because they are spaces where many people of all ages visit for games and other physical activity, Lieutenant Ty Stewart said.

“The sooner an AED is applied, if somebody is in a lethal rhythm that needs to be defibrillated and electricity applied to that patient, the better their outcome will be," Stewart said.

Midura said the addition brings peace of mind to the players.

“We’re comfortable playing ball but now that we have this and know at our age you just never know," Midura said. "At any age it can happen to anybody so we’re very comfortable with it, we’re very thankful they have it here."

The city of Worthington will also be adding AEDs to four other parks. The plan is to put them up in other busy public places as well.