The City of Sarnia is expanding its Automatic External Defibrillators (AEDs) program.
New AEDs were installed in parks and facilities late last month at several locations and old ones were replaced.
New sites include Germain Park, Lottie Neely Park, Clearwater Park, the Suncor Agora, Canatara Park, one at the Children's Animal Farm, Kenwick Park, and Mike Weir Park in Bright's Grove.
Additionally, units were replaced at Progressive Auto Sales, Pat Stapleton, and Clearwater arenas.
"We chose locations based on the level of traffic, so these are the most highly utilized areas next to sports fields and other facilities that draw large crowds, so these are just our highest traffic parks, so they're the most likely locations where they will need to be used," said Communications Manager Steve Henschel, who said the units have been successfully used in the past.
"In those instances there were cases where it made the difference in terms of that emergency, so there's definitely value to the units," he said.
Henschel said while the 20 AEDs do not have a specific life span, the pads and the batteries do.
"We inspect them monthly, checking those dates, making sure those parts are swapped out and just making sure the unit as a whole is still functioning," he said.
Henschel said these units are designed for people with no training.
"It has visual instructions, written instructions, but it also has auditory instructions. So when you open up and start using it a voice is telling you what to do next," he said.
The AED units are located in bathrooms and outdoor cabinets.
If feasible, the city review and expand at more locations in the future.
