As part of an initiative to earn Porter County a Heart Safe Community designation, the Porter County Health Department has purchased and installed an automated external defibrillator (AED) outside the Duneland Chamber of Commerce’s building, at 220 Broadway on the far west end of Thomas Centennial Park, the Town of Chesterton is reporting.

Heart Safe is a designation awarded by Project ADAM (Automated Defibrillators in Adam’s Memory), named in honor of Adam Lemel, a high school student who tragically lost his life to Sudden Cardiac Arrest. Project ADAM is dedicated to raising awareness and providing communities with the necessary tools to respond effectively to cardiac emergencies.

According to the Town of Chesterton, Park Superintendent Tyler McLead reported at the Town Council’s meeting Monday night, Aug. 25, “The Health Department’s leading the initiative for the county to be a Heart Safe Community. This is a nationally recognized program that improves Sudden Cardiac Arrest survival and increases AED usage among the public. The Health Department is providing outdoor AED cabinets at several locations throughout the county and they’ve identified Thomas Centennial Park as one of those locations, given all the foot traffic through there.”
“Our unit was installed last week,” McLead noted. “It’s wall-mounted on the east side of the Chamber building. It has 24/7 access and readiness and it’s climate controlled, so it’s both ventilated and heated and includes a variety of safety features as well. An alarm goes off when it’s accessed and several emergency contacts will be notified immediately by text. It also has a camera which will take pictures of anyone who opens the cabinet.”

“Tyler put the total value of the AED at $5,700—purchase plus installation—and expressed his gratitude to the Health Department for furnishing the unit to the Town of Chesterton at no cost, the Town of Chesterton said on its Facebook page. “He also thanked Deputy Fire Chief Aimee Gilbert for coordinating the initiative with the Health Department, beginning last December.”

Read a full report on the Town of Chesterton Facebook page.