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Public raises security concerns as Porter County health staff seek AED registry grant
Summary
Staff said the department applied for a grant to fund an AED registry implementation tied to PulsePoint; a public commenter asked whether AEDs placed in public locations are secure and accessible 24 hours a day and raised theft concerns.
Porter County Health Department staff said they have applied for a grant to cover the implementation fee for an AED registry tied to PulsePoint, and a member of the public raised questions about device security and public access.
Staff member Lehi told the board the department applied for a grant to pay the implementation fee for a PulsePoint AED registry and that the department expects to hear about the application in October. The transcript did not specify the requested grant amount.
At public comment, Eddie Vasquez, who identified himself as president of the Board of County Council, asked whether the AEDs the department has placed are in secure locations and whether they are accessible 24 hours a day. Vasquez asked whether an unscrupulous person could remove an AED and resell it, saying, “could somebody unscrupulous individuals, could they open that up and say, hey. I could probably get a $100 for this.”
A staff member told the board the existing units are in secure locations but also said AEDs intended for community use must be accessible around the clock so residents can retrieve them in an emergency. The transcript includes a brief exchange in which the commenter pressed for what mechanisms the department has to prevent theft; the board and staff did not record a detailed theft-prevention policy or a formal decision on AED placement during the meeting.
Why this matters: AED location and security affect whether devices are available when needed and whether the county needs formal policies, equipment housings or monitoring to protect devices while preserving 24-hour access.
The department said it will continue to pursue the PulsePoint implementation grant and did not record a formal vote on AED placement or a policy change during the meeting. The board’s next meeting is scheduled for Oct. 7.
