Talbot Paramedic Foundation and Talbot County Department of Emergency Services has announced a new name for their nationally recognized Public Access Defibrillator (PAD) program, as well as an expanded range of emergency situations that can be addressed with by-stander intervention.
The newly named program will be called Talbot CARES, or Cardiac Arrest Rescue- Emergency Station.
According to Talbot Paramedic Foundation president Wayne Dyott, “We know giving by-standers the tools to immediately respond in a variety of life-threatening emergencies, prior to the arrival of EMS, with the support of pre-arrival instructions from Emergency Communication Specialists at the 911 Center will save lives!”
Talbot CARES will feature additional equipment to address emergency situations. Currently Talbot DES Paramedic Rachael Cox is stocking the enclosures with Stop the Bleed tourniquet kits and opioid overdose kits are being added to the compartment along with the defibrillator (AED). Additional future equipment might include kits for severe allergic reactions and flotation devices for installations near waterfront areas.
(L to R) Talbot EMS Chief Matt Watkins, Paramedic Rachael Cox, Talbot Paramedic Foundation President Wayne Dyott, and Talbot Department of Emergency Services Director Brian LeCates. Photo provided by Talbot Paramedic Foundation.
“The multipurpose emergency response capabilities of these stations have allowed us an opportunity to revisit a name for our PAD program. Talbot County Department of Emergency Services and the Talbot Paramedic Foundation have selected Talbot CARES as a name more reflective of the program’s changed capabilities,” stated Dyott.
Cox provides critical support to over 200 defibrillators that are in the county as well as the nine Talbot CARES located at Idlewild, North Easton Park, and soon Homerun Baker Park. Cox was able to organize and stock each of the enclosures with this equipment and make it ready for use. The 911 Emergency Communications Center personnel have long provided pre-arrival instructions for 911 callers to assist them in initiating care until trained personnel arrive on location.
“The Talbot Paramedic Foundation is a valued partner in making us a national leader in Public Access Defibrillation. Talbot County DES is actively working toward expanding the number of defibrillators available throughout the county, especially in areas of public recreation,” stated Matt Watkins, Chief of Talbot’s Emergency Medical Services Division.
Talbot CARES is in the process of expanding coverage to Trappe’s Homerun Baker Park. The goal is to provide public access to these lifesaving stations to every recreational facility in Talbot within the next few years. Talbot CARES is a cooperative effort between Talbot DES, Team Trace, Talbot Paramedic Foundation, Gunther Electric, along with the support of many others throughout the community.
The likelihood of saving a victim of sudden cardiac arrest is reduced approximately 10 percent every minute after the heart stops. CARES are located within the parks to allow rapid delivery of the defibrillator to the victim following sudden cardiac arrest. Immediate CPR and rapid defibrillation are essential parts of the chain of survival. Accessing the equipment results in immediate dispatch of emergency services!
The Talbot Paramedic Foundation has a long history of supporting emergency medical services in Talbot County. Their mission is saving lives through increased awareness, raising funds, and developing life saving programs. The foundation also supports the advanced academic training of EMS providers through established scholarships.
For more information, please contact the Talbot Paramedic Foundation at talobtparamedic.org., or Paramedic Cox at [email protected] or (443 239-6999).
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