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McKinney fire leaders ask MCDC for help to fund Neighborhood Heroes AED program
Summary
McKinney Fire Department asked the MCDC for help fundraising roughly $1.1 million to buy and deploy 400 networked AEDs and train volunteer ‘Neighborhood Heroes’ to cut time to first defibrillation, aiming to boost cardiac survival further after recent gains. The presentation cited dispatch improvements and a Good Sam app to notify trained volunteers.
Chief Paul Dowell and Battalion Chief Ben Jones told the McKinney Community Development Corporation on March 26 that the city is expanding a Neighborhood Heroes program to place networked automated external defibrillators (AEDs) with vetted, trained volunteers and onto a dispatch‑linked app.
Ben Jones said the department currently has about 200 AEDs in public buildings, police vehicles and fire apparatus, and described a plan to issue roughly 400 devices to volunteers who can be notified through a Good Sam app when a cardiac arrest occurs nearby. “So what does it cost? Well, to run this program for about 5 years, we're looking at just over $1,100,000 And what that does is that allows me to purchase 400 AEDs,” Jones said. Jones also highlighted GPS tracking and remote health‑monitoring features that allow staff to see the status of each device on a dashboard and recapture stolen units; he noted one unit taken from Finch Park was later located in Terrell with Kaufman County assistance.
Presenters emphasized timeliness: Jones said dispatch routing time was reduced from about one minute 40 seconds to roughly 54 seconds after targeted training, and that early defibrillation can materially increase survival for shockable rhythms. He reported McKinney’s survivability for applicable cardiac arrests has risen from roughly 10% in 2024 to between 40% and 45% after dispatcher training and police engagement, and argued that putting AEDs into volunteer hands could raise that rate further.
Board members asked about funding sources; Jones said the department applied for a UASI‑type grant last year and was not awarded funds. Multiple board members offered to help with fundraising and outreach; Chairman Fuller asked staff member Cindy to organize a small follow‑up meeting so board members could coordinate without forming a quorum. The department said small donations were accepted through the Citizens Fire Academy Alumni Association and encouraged sign‑ups at mckinneyfire.org/hero.
Next steps: the department will follow up with the board on potential donor leads and pursue grant opportunities; the board indicated interest in coordinating a fundraising approach.
