County accepts donation of AEDs to constables as hospital district aims to make Parker County a "4‑minute county"

The commissioners accepted a donation of four automated external defibrillators (AEDs) from the Parker County Hospital District Citizen EMS during the Aug. 25 court session. Chris Hummel, the group's president and cofounder, said the organization is working to make Parker County a "4‑minute county" by expanding AED placement so that any cardiac arrest victim can be reached within four minutes.

"These defibrillators are $3,000 a piece," Hummel said, adding that devices were purchased through private and business donations and fundraising. He described features including built‑in tracking and integration with dispatch so that units can be located and dispatched when needed. Jim Backus, identified in court as the hospital district’s EMS director, said the group has already placed several AEDs and provided training: "Every minute that goes by when you're in cardiac arrest without compressions and without a shock, your chances of survival goes down by 10 percent." The court accepted the donation and posed for a ceremonial photo.

Court members and staff praised the volunteer effort and training program, and Commissioners noted the public‑safety value of putting AEDs in law enforcement vehicles and other county locations. The donation will be used to equip constables’ units and expand countywide AED coverage; training will be provided at no cost. (Provenance: donation presentation and acceptance segments.)