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Sandy Springs Fire Department outlines AED volunteer network and community-paramedic pilot
Summary
Fire and EMS officials described station planning, a community-paramedic pilot to reduce low-acuity 911 calls, and an AED program that equips trained volunteers with connected devices to build a citywide 4-minute response network; staff reported early metrics and a hospital foundation grant.
Patrick Flaherty, chief of EMS and training for the Sandy Springs Fire Department, presented a suite of public-safety initiatives at the retreat, including station planning, a community-paramedic pilot and a volunteer AED program designed to shorten the time to defibrillation.
Flaherty said the department plans to rebuild several stations and relocate Fire Station 4 (currently located just outside the city) to an in-city site to improve ISO scoring and response equity. He said coverage currently averages about 11 square miles per station and department planners aim to move closer to an eight-square-mile standard.
On clinical services, the department described a community-paramedic pilot that routes low-acuity calls (alpha and bravo priority) to a paramedic who can assess needs, enroll residents in supportive services and reduce repeat 911 use. Flaherty said the pilot has completed dozens of intakes and cleared most referrals with social and medical resources.
The department also is recruiting volunteers for a connected AED program intended to create a "4-minute community" where trained, registered volunteers can be alerted by dispatch and provide an AED within four minutes of cardiac arrest. Flaherty said the program currently has 51 active volunteer AED operators, 24 more in the pipeline, and has seen 22 activations since launch. Northside Hospital Foundation donated roughly $160,000 to purchase AEDs; the program's goal is about 200 devices to provide coverage across the city.
Flaherty said early indicators include increased bystander CPR and higher rates of AED use in the city, and he encouraged neighborhood groups, religious institutions and businesses to participate.
