Lifesaving technology will be even easier to come by thanks to a recent move by the Board of Selectmen (BOS) to approve funding for five new Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs), which will be placed downtown.

Members of the BOS voted to appropriate approximately $16,000 of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds on Nov. 20 to purchase five AEDs and seven outdoor cabinets to house them in. Guilford-based AED manufacturer Difebtech will donate two additional AEDs for a total of seven new devices.

Though there are a number of AEDs placed around the downtown green environs, including Town Hall, the library, The Marketplace, and Page’s Hardware, these sites are not accessible in general after business hours. According to Emergency Services officials, these devices are crucial for off-hours events such as concerts, green nightlife patrons, and any off-hours emergencies.

At the Nov. 20 meeting, the BOS allotted $5,220 for the actual AED purchase and $8,300 for the weather-resistant cabinets. The board members anticipated additional costs associated with security but did not have a final dollar amount. The expected total cost is $16,000.

Though the permanent AED at Bittner Park has never been vandalized, the board is seeking to outfit the new devices with location technology that would allow law enforcement to track the AEDs if they were stolen.

“That’s the last piece we are working on with IT and the police department for improving security a little bit in terms of in the event that somebody takes one, we have the ability to get it back,” said Assistant Fire Chief/Deputy Fire Marshal Michael Shove.

Shove emphasized at the November meeting how vital AEDs can be in cardiac emergencies.

“Early access to defibrillation is critical in these emergencies. For us in the fire department, when we know that a cardiac arrest has happened and that someone has put a defibrillator on someone, their chances of survival go up 10 percent for every minute that goes by,” said Shove. “Some of the travel time from the station to these locations can be five to 17 minutes. So, early intervention is critical, and these devices are great. From the time you pull it out, the machine walks you through every step. It is really quite simple to use, and they definitely have saved lives. Early activation of 911 also really helps to increase the survival rate. They can make a big difference; the goal is to let the public know that these AEDs are available if ever needed.”

According to Shove, the impetus for the additional devices was headed by the Parks and Recreation Department with the full support of the town’s EMS.

“On behalf of Ellen [Clow] and Rick [Maynard], it’s really their project…and we are supportive of this project as well. Currently, we have one outside AED cabinet at Bittner that was our first model, and with that came a plan to move into some other parks and add some additional outdoor cabinets,” said Shove. “At Nut Plains Park, Long Hill Park…Chaffinch Island, Lake Quonnipaug, and putting another one at Bittner down closer to the soccer fields and baseball fields, as well. The good thing about having this public use, 24/7 use, in a box outside, means it’s always available.”

There are plans for AEDs at Town Hall South; all season-accessible AEDs at the town beaches are currently being discussed.

A patron utilizing the disc golf course suffered a fatal heart attack at Bittner Park in 2021. After that incident, with the help from Thomas Ianello and his family, whose brother Michael died of a heart attack at only 33 at the East Haven Middle School gym, and Defibtech, the manufacturer of the AEDs Guilford intends to buy, the park had a device installed.

Defibtech has worked closely with the town on several AED installations and is donating two of the devices that Guilford is gearing up to install. With the company’s donation, a total of seven AEDs will be installed under the project, according to Shove.

“We reached out to our vendor, Defibtech who we’ve worked with before and who’ve been very supportive,” said Shove. “They have agreed to donate two units, so we are going to purchase five, and they will donate two for an additional seven more AEDs in town.”

AEDs are currently available during business hours at the following locations: The Community/Senior Center, Town Hall, Guilford Free Library, Page’s Hardware, The Marketplace at Guilford Food Center, and St. George Church. The AED at Bittner Park is in the north end upper area of the north end by the skate park and is accessible 24/7. There are AEDs at both town beaches, but they are only seasonal and only during beach open hours.

No final decision on the final placement sites has been made, but proposed site sites include the Town Green, outside of the Nathanael B. Greene Community Center, Town Hall South, a secondary location at Bittner Park, Nut Plains Park, Chaffinch Island Park, Long Hill Park, Lake Quonnipaug, Jacob's Beach, and outside of Guilford High School or Adams Middle School.