• Stouffville unveiled the first of three outdoor AEDs at Memorial Park on March 25.
  • The initiative was led by resident Erin da Luz in memory of her late father.
  • Two additional units will be installed at the park washroom building and Latcham Hall.
  • The project was partially funded through private donations, with additional support from the Town.
  • The new AEDs require no training and are accessible 24/7, providing guided instructions during emergencies.
  • Officials emphasized the importance of rapid response in cardiac arrest situations.

 

Stouffville resident Erin da Luz joined Town officials and representatives from Action First Aid on March 25 to unveil the first of three outdoor automated external defibrillators (AEDs) being installed in Memorial Park.

Located between the skating trail and pickleball courts, the first unit has been mounted on the exterior of a skating trail facility building, providing year-round public access. Two additional AEDs will be installed in the coming weeks at the Memorial Park washroom facility and Latcham Hall.

The new SaveStation AED cabinets follow a community fundraising effort led by da Luz in honour of her late father, Ricardo Miguel da Luz, who died of cardiac arrest at age 58.

In December 2024, da Luz and her family awoke to find Ricardo unresponsive. Having recently completed CPR training, she administered compressions while waiting for paramedics. Despite her efforts, he could not be revived.

“As I did everything I could in that moment, a quiet question formed in the back of my mind: if an AED had been available, could it have changed this?” da Luz wrote on her SaveStation crowdfunding page.

Recognizing that rapid access to an AED, alongside CPR, can significantly improve survival rates during cardiac arrest, she began exploring where a defibrillator could provide the greatest benefit.

“Memorial Park is one of the busiest and most cherished places in our community. It hosts sports games, movie nights, the Strawberry Festival, Victoria Day celebrations, and countless families enjoying the outdoors during the warmer months,” da Luz wrote.

In an emergency, she added, there may not be enough time to retrieve an AED from the Leisure Centre.

After connecting with Action First Aid, a Barrie-based provider of AEDs and first aid training, da Luz worked with Town Staff to move the project forward. She also launched the crowdfunding campaign with a $10,000 goal, reaching half that amount within 24 hours.

The fundraising target was met in a week, enabling the purchase of two AEDs, da Luz said. The Town funded the third unit, as well as installation and other related costs.

“It’s always super unfortunate that these moments happen after tragedy,” said Deb Hennig, President of Action First Aid and co-founder of SaveStation. “But we want to assure you, Erin, that what you’ve done here is going to prevent a lot of other families from going through what you have just been through.”

Hennig noted that sudden cardiac arrest remains a leading cause of death in North America, adding that outdoor AED installations are still relatively uncommon in many communities. While some individuals are trained in CPR, she said hesitation and fear can prevent bystanders from intervening in an emergency when an AED is available.

The Memorial Park units are designed for ease of use, requiring no formal training. Information is posted at each station, and they provide clear audio instructions when opened to guide users through each step.

“Sudden electrical arrhythmias can happen to anybody at any time, and time is absolutely everything… Every minute that goes by, the chances of survival drops 10 percent,” Hennig said. “We can’t have people afraid of the defibrillators, they will not hurt you.”

She also emphasized that the new AEDs will only function if needed: “It will not shock a heart that doesn’t need to be shocked, so you cannot make a mistake, and you cannot hurt anybody.”

To maximize accessibility, the AEDs are unlocked and will be available 24/7. They are located near Town surveillance cameras, and an alarm sounds when the cabinet is opened, helping to deter misuse.

A plaque accompanying the first unit shares the story of da Luz’s father and the effort behind the project. “It is a great asset to our community, and from your generosity and fundraising—and your dad’s memory—you’ve seen this happen,” Mayor Iain Lovatt said during the unveiling.

“But it’s also a great education for people,” he added. “It’s important that people realize how quickly we need to react when there is a cardiac emergency, because it can take literally seconds between life and death.”

Da Luz concluded her remarks by thanking her family and supporters, expressing gratitude for the opportunity to honour her father in a meaningful way.

“They saw the vision I had, and it’s now come to fruition,” she said. “It feels incredibly amazing to see it here in person.”