Outdoor AED Cabinet Placed at Pirrotta Park in Spicer 
         Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA) is the leading cause of death in the U.S. claiming an estimated 436,000 lives per year. It is also estimated that 90% of victims of SCA die before they reach the hospital or other source of emergency help. This is why The City of Spicer partnered with Advocates For Health a 501 © (3) nonprofit working to change those statistics. Advocates For Health aims to make AEDs (Automated External Defibrillators) publicly accessible 24/7. They do this by placing AEDs in Outdoor AED Smart Monitored Cabinets. The Cabinet is heated/cooled keeping the AED in a temperature-controlled environment throughout the year. Often times AEDs are locked up or not available to the public 24/7. By placing an AED in a Smart Monitored Cabinet, it can be available in an emergency by a bystander until medical help arrives. Statistics show that early intervention with CPR and using an AED during a Sudden Cardiac Arrest is critical in survival rates. An AED used within 4-6 minutes can turn the survival rates to 75%. The first Outdoor AED Smart Monitored Cabinet was placed in Spicer at Pirrotta Park. The City of Spicer donated this first cabinet and is excited to partner with other community members to place even more throughout the City of Spicier.

The AED is not just placed outside in any cabinet. Smart Monitored technology in the cabinet continuously monitors the AED's operation. This guarantees that everything with the AED works properly in the event of an emergency. When the Outdoor AED Cabinet door is opened pictures are taken and an alarm is sounded to alert other bystanders. A built-in SIM card contacts a call center that dispatches 911 when the AED is removed from the cabinet. The AED itself has a video screen and voice that walks the responder through the steps needed to be taken as soon as the on-button is pushed. Be sure to look for directional signs that point in the direction of the Outdoor AED Cabinet.

Another important note is the AED only works when needed. Once the AED pads are placed on a person and the device is turned on it reads the signals of the heart to determine if a shock is needed. The AED device will only shock a person with an abnormal heart rhythm. This is a huge misconception people have about AEDs and leads to hesitation in using an AED in the event of an emergency. It is important to remember you cannot harm a person more if they are in SCA because they are already dead, you are trying to save their life. This is why education is a top priority for the nonprofit. Advocates For Health not only want to make the AED available 24/7 but they also want to ensure the public is aware of where the AEDs in their community are, how to use them, and how to perform CPR. Education within a community is a large part of what helps increase the chance of survival from SCA. A hands-only CPR and AED training by a certified instructor is conducted with the placement of every Outdoor AED Cabinet. Look out for details coming soon when the City of Spicer will hold the educational training session open to the public.

The next Outdoor AED Cabinet coming to Spicer will be located at Kandiyohi Park Saulsbury Beach and was donated by The Spicer Sunrise Lions. If you would like to help bring more Outdoor AEDs to Spicer you can visit https://www.givemn.org/story/Spicermn and donate or by sending a check to Advocates For Health at 4067 Pine Point Road Sartell, MN 56377 (Please make a note the donation is for the Spicer Outdoor AED Project).