Help provide life-saving AEDs to GSMNP’s First Responders
With your help, GSMNP will be able to purchase AEDs for first responders. AEDs will be placed in EMS vehicles; provided to backcountry crews; and placed in other public locations.
The park is hoping to get them before the AT thru-hiker and Spring Break season is upon us. Access to AEDs has made a difference in the lives of rescued people in the park. Whether on the trail or roadside overlook, these are life-saving machines if we can get them to the person in need quickly.
Note: After we reach our $100,000 goal, donations will support visitor safety programs.
What is an AED?
An AED, or automated external defibrillator, is used to help those experiencing sudden cardiac arrest. It’s a sophisticated, yet easy-to-use, medical device that can analyze the heart’s rhythm and, if necessary, deliver an electrical shock, or defibrillation, to help the heart re-establish an effective rhythm.