Public gets access to lifesavers in parks

The Belgium Fire Department recently received two automated external defibrillators for public use at Community and Heritage parks. The AEDs are in locked, secured and heated boxes to protect them from the weather. In a case of a cardiac emergency, either AED can be accessed by calling 911 to get the code to open the box. The Ozaukee County Sheriff’s Office dispatch center will provide the code and send emergency medical services to the scene. The AEDs are also registered with PulsePointAED, which allows people in the park calling 911 to be directed to the AED if they didn’t know it was there. “These are the only AEDs in Ozaukee County that are available to the public 24 hours a day,” according to a statement from the Fire Department. Donations from local businesses and civic organizations and a grant allowed the department to purchase the AEDs. Fire Chief Pat Wester was joined by (from left) Belgium Lions Club member Paul Kluck, Plus Group Wealth Advisors employees Thomas Volkmann and Brenda Mueller, Lions member Rich Howells, Peggy Wester of Next Chapter Real Estate, Paul Kuzio, Kwik Trip’s Kelli Werner, Nate Kjer of Lakeside Foods and Keith Dolezal of Kwik Trip.         Photo by Sam Arendt