The Bellaire Police and Fire Foundation presented a grant to the city on Oct. 6 to expand the municipality’s public access and in-vehicle AED program.

Fire Chief Deacon Tittle and representatives of the foundation said the $69,530.40 grant will allow the purchase of 29 new LifePak CR2 automated external defibrillators and cover trade-in logistics so the city can retain the older 17 AEDs rather than disposing of them. The expansion will raise the city’s total AED inventory to roughly 46 devices.

Chief Tittle described the new units’ networked features: the AEDs can communicate device status and alerts back to the department, notifying staff of battery issues or if a device is opened or used. "The communication amongst the AEDs are phenomenal," he said, and added that placing AEDs in police and public works vehicles will reduce response times and improve outcomes.

Dan Collins of the Bellaire Police and Fire Foundation said the award is part of a larger round of foundation grants this year; he cited $155,290 in grant funding the foundation had delivered so far in the year and highlighted an additional funded project: a "drone as a first responder" now deployed with the police department.

The council received the presentation and accepted the donation as part of the consent agenda.