Lifesaving AEDs Now on Rehoboth Boardwalk!
Rehoboth’s local Rotary Club is leading efforts to make lifesaving automated external defibrillators (AEDs) available along the boardwalk in Rehoboth Beach. This coming Wednesday at 9 a.m., Rotary Club members and other officials will unveil the initiative at the Rehoboth Beach Bandstand.
So far, four AEDs, which are used to resuscitate people suffering a sudden cardiac arrest, were installed this month along the boardwalk at the pavilions on Maryland and Laurel Avenues, the Delaware Avenue information booth and at the restrooms near the bandstand. A fifth AED will be placed at the new beach patrol headquarters when it is completed.
“A while back I was contacted by Steven Grossman with our local Rotary Club to see if we had any interest in partnering with them to place AEDs on the boardwalk,” Rehoboth Beach Police Chief Keith Banks said. “As you can imagine,” he adds, “the city was all in on this project. Rotary would purchase five units and have them installed with the city picking up the maintenance fees for the future years.”
The project is funded with a grant proposed by Grossman’s wife, Lisa, who is the Rehoboth Beach Sunrise Rotary Club president. Another AED will be provided to the Bethany Beach Patrol on behalf of the Southern Sussex Rotary Club, which will be a mobile unit for their use. The Long Neck Sunrise Rotary Club also helped fund the project.
“Bayhealth Heart & Vascular Institute joined in the effort to help fund these units which was an invaluable expenditure in making this lifesaving project happen,” Grossman said.
