MUSCATINE, Iowa — The City of Muscatine has announced that three automatic external defibrillators (AEDs) will be installed at city parks.
The AEDs will be installed at Kent Stein Baseball Park, the Muscatine Soccer Complex and Riverside Park, thanks to a grant from the State of Iowa Public Health.
The three units will be contained in bright yellow all-weather enclosures that are temperature-controlled. Each unit has an access code for the door to open which will be provided when a person calls 911 and the AED is needed.
MUSCOM (Muscatine Joint Communications Center) will provide the code for the door so the caller can access the AED and will walk the caller step-by-step on how to assist.
“The pursuit of these AEDs for our public spaces falls under our City’s mission statement (to provide effective municipal services, excellent customer service, and sound fiscal management that improves quality of life and ensures a sustainable economy),” Gary Ronzheimer, Muscatine Fire Department Battalion Chief EMS Operations, said.
The AEDs will be removed from Kent Stein Park and the Soccer Complex during the winter for storage and any needed service when the parks are closed, meanwhile the Riverside Park AED will be maintained year-round due to the high level of traffic.
According to Ronzheimer, the City is trying to add publicly accessible AEDs and encourages any business owners who have an installed AED to complete the AED LOCATOR form to provide the location of the units.
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