Palm Beach aims to have 500 AEDs in public locations by 2025, fire chief says

By 2025, Palm Beach will have the most publicly available automatic external defibrillators of any town in the U.S. That's according to Fire Rescue Chief Darrel Donatto.

"Imagine this: We already have 200 AEDs in town, but we hope to have 500 AEDs within the next two years,” he said. "You will be safer in this town from a heart attack or sudden cardiac arrest than anywhere else in the nation."

The announcement, made during Thursday's South End Safety Forum hosted by Safeguard Palm Beach at Fire Station 3, is one thread in the Town’s greater effort to become the safest municipality in the U.S., Donatto said.

More: Safeguard Palm Beach hosts Battle of Mogadishu veteran to kick off Breakfast Series

Donatto also highlighted the implementation of a new fire and EMS reporting and analytic system, as well as the incorporation of new neuroprotective CPR devices, which, according to recent studies, reduce brain and neurological damage associated with cardiac crisis by increasing blood flow to the brain.

“There may be another 30 or 40 organizations where we are at today with neuroprotective CPR,” Donatto said.

He also spoke about the Prepared Live system, which allows emergency dispatchers to video-call and GPS track callers via a text message link.

"Very few places have this. It will become the norm, but we're at the leading edge of this," Donatto said of the Prepared Live system.

Related: Palm Beach has introduced new emergency response technology: Here's what it does

Donatto said the system could not have been launched without financial support from the Palm Beach Police and Fire Foundation.

"Police and fire were talking about it like, 'Man we'd love to have this and love to do this, but there is a cost,' " Donatto said. "Right away, Police and Fire Foundation stepped up. … We have it today thanks to them."

The foundation also paid for the neuroprotective CPR devices.

In collaboration with Safeguard Palm Beach, Donatto said his department will be increasing its educational programming, including the incorporation of drowning and fall-prevention programs.

“Fall prevention is one of those things that can really make a difference in people maintaining their ability to live alone without needing assistance,” he said. “So we’re hopeful we can do a lot more of that with this partnership.”

Discussing South End concerns, he reminded residents that many of the area's condominiums are slated for end-of-year inspections under Senate Bill 4-D. Signed into law by Gov. Ron DeSantis in 2022, the legislation mandates all condos or cooperative buildings of three stories or higher to undergo milestones inspections by Dec. 31 for buildings reaching 25 years of age, and every 10 years after that.

Related: Palm Beach webpage explains new condo-inspection law after Miami-Dade collapse

Also mentioned was the 2025 deadline for ensuring that buildings meet minimum radio signal strength requirements. Part of Florida’s House Bill 287, the legislation requires buildings of 75 feet or higher to have the minimum radio signal strength needed for the communication equipment used by first responders.

The announcement sparked a conversation between Donatto and Dorchester condominium President Irwin Meisler when Meisler asked if there was any new system or town-led development that could guarantee the appropriate signal strength without costing residents.

"There was a manager's meeting yesterday and one of your representatives were there," said Meisler. "They told us the communication devices were purchased in 2008. Has anybody taken the time to see if there's more advanced equipment before we are asked to spend a quarter of a million dollars?"

Donatto explained that the equipment’s age has little to do with signal strength, which is influenced by the building’s distance from the radio tower, as well as its material and architectural composition.

Meisler and other residents wanted to know if it is possible to "beef up" the radio towers to increase signal, but Donatto and Police Chief Nicholas Caristo said the town had no control of the towers, as they are owned by the county and managed by a third-party organization.

In his presentation, Caristo announced a crackdown on car carriers, which are prohibited from offloading cars anywhere but Phipps Ocean Park.

Caristo also highlighted the police department's effort to alleviate the anxiety and fear felt by Palm Beach's Jewish community following the eruption of the Israel-Hamas conflict.

"I don't advertise it, but I want to assure you that our police department is extremely proactive in keeping this community safe," he said. "We have so many protocols put in place between undercover cars and active patrols."

Diego Diaz Lasa is a journalist at the Palm Beach Daily News, part of the USA TODAY Florida Network. You can reach him at dlasa@pbdailynews.com. Help support our journalism. Subscribe today.  

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Daily News: Palm Beach aims to have 500 AEDs in public locations by 2025