Harford County Installing Lifesaving Equipment At 7 Parks

HARFORD COUNTY, MD — People walking and biking along Harford County trails may notice some new additions.

Bright yellow boxes have been installed at four parks and trails around the county, and three more are expected to be installed by the end of the month.

The boxes contain automated external defibrillators (AEDs) and Stop the Bleed kits.

AEDs are medical devices that can provide an electrical shock to restore a regular heart rhythm during cardiac arrest. Stop the Bleed kits have tourniquets and bandages to help prevent blood loss if someone becomes injured.

“Emergencies like cardiac arrest and serious bleeding from a fall or injury can happen anywhere, even if you’re out for a hike or a run,” County Executive Barry Glassman said in a statement.

If park-goers encounter a medical emergency, they should call 911. The operator will tell callers if they are near one of the AEDs and where it is located.

Tools to help in the event of an emergency are now in place along the Ma & Pa Trail near the Harford County Equestrian Center, Shucks Regional Park in Bel Air, Friends Park in Forest Hill and Mariner Point Park in Joppa, Harford County announced this week.

Access to electricity and foot traffic drove the decisions about where to put the AEDs, officials said.

Once at the box, a caller will need to receive a code from the 911 operator to open it and access its contents. A dispatcher will provide step-by-step instructions.

“As a former volunteer EMT, I know that with proper instruction, anyone can learn to use this equipment and have the power to save a life," Glassman said.

A total of seven AEDs in yellow boxes and Stop the Bleed kits will be installed countywide by the end of January, at which point Eden Mill Park in Pylesville, Emily Bayless Graham Park in Bel Air and Flying Point Park in Edgewood will have theirs in place, according to Erika Butler, spokesperson for Harford County government.

Each box cost approximately $5,000 to buy and install, according to Butler, who said Harford County Parks and Recreation worked with Director of Emergency Services Eddie Hopkins so the county could purchase the equipment with county and federal grant funds.

"We have had multiple emergency calls on our trails and in our parks and have wanted to provide AEDs at our outdoor facilities," said Butler, who noted there were AEDs inside a number of county buildings.

In the past year, the use of outdoor facilities has picked up, Butler said, making the resource more vital.

"We feel that they significantly improve public safety," Butler said, "particularly as use of our trails and parks has increased since the start of the pandemic."