Midwest City Installs Fan Accessible AEDs In Youth Ballparks

A typical day at the ballpark can turn serious, and in some cases even deadly.

“On any given weekend if you come to Midwest City, you’re going to have hundreds of people there for sporting events,” said Midwest City Fire Chief Bert Norton.

With the heat and other elements, the risk of cardiac arrest is a real threat.

“We saw that they had the AED in the concession stand inside of a cage with a padlock on it, and it was like how are we going to activate that? Who's got the key? And no one in the concession stand knew where the key was,” said Norton.

For Chief Norton, having AEDs in the parks and not being able to access them, was unacceptable.

“If we can get CPR started within ten minutes of that cardiac event happening that person has a much greater possibility of survival,” said Norton. 

So, at their three main parks for youth sports, Midwest City has installed AED stations that are accessible to the public.

As soon as the cabinet opens an alarm sounds, there is a picture taken of the person who opened it and once the unit is deployed it alerts 911, sending alerts to emergency crews, shortening arrival times.

“But that AED is already, in that five-minute window that we are trying to get here, bringing our AED going to be already deployed and be put on that patient,” said Norton.

Complete with instructions both written and verbal.

“It’s a very user-friendly AED that’s made for the layperson, if you will that is going to be able to talk them through it,” said Norton.

All of this adds a security measure for fans attending the games.

“That if the need arises for that loved one you can deploy it as easily as possible. And get it on them,” said Norton.

The hope is that these never have to be used, but for Midwest City, it’s better to have them and not need them as opposed to needing them and not having them.