New AED unveiled in Oro-Medonte

An AED was officially unveiled outside Warminster Elementary School on Thurs. April 27, 2023 (Jonathan Guignard/CTV News Barrie)

The Township of Oro-Medonte is continuing to expand its supply of a lifesaving tool throughout the community.

On Thursday, a new Automatic External Defibrillator (AED) was unveiled at Warminster Elementary School. The AED was unveiled through a partnership with Action First Aid.

"The idea of Warminster Public School being the hub for the community and families being here after school hours and the access to the outdoor AED is exciting," said Scott Young, an assistant superintendent with the Simcoe County District School Board. "It will be a safeguard for the families when they do visit the school after hours."

According to the mayor, the device is a first of its kind in Canada, saying no other AEDs are available on the outdoor grounds of a school.

With fire services in the township responsible for covering a large geographic area, the mayor says access to AEDs is critical.

"There's no doubt the one challenge we have within this township is response time to fire services," said Randy Greenlaw, the mayor of Oro-Medonte. "Seconds matter when it comes to saving lives. So it will definitely be something that supplements and enhances the services that our fire department currently provides to the community."

Greenlaw says this is the 12th AED in Oro-Medonte. According to the mayor, another six will be unveiled by the end of Summer 2023.