The Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) has taken steps to enhance the security of its Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) by relocating many of them into staff-only areas due to a troubling spike in thefts.
Originally, these life-saving devices were installed in publicly accessible emergency cabinets along MARTA concourses, easily identifiable by white and blue boxes marked with the universal heart and lightning bolt symbol.
However, as of 2023, MARTA has moved at least 20% of its defibrillators into sealed staff rooms across various rail stations.
Angela Jetty, a spokesperson for MARTA, indicated that this decision was prompted by a significant number of thefts, which included 12 incidents occurring within a single month two years ago.
At stations like Lindbergh Center, measures such as signs warning of video surveillance have been implemented to combat theft, and the devices are secured behind glass. A note inside the cabinets instructs anyone needing a defibrillator to contact MARTA police, who can then retrieve a unit from a staff area.
Despite these measures, it remains unclear how frequently these defibrillators have been used, as MARTA has not provided information regarding their usage statistics.
Dr. Divya Gupta, the board president of the American Heart Association in metro Atlanta and a cardiologist at Emory Healthcare, expressed concern about the accessibility of defibrillators.
“The whole point is higher survival for people who need them,” Dr. Gupta stated. “They should be accessible to people at any time.”
The relocation of these devices has raised concerns about emergency response effectiveness. A recent survey by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution (AJC) found that at least one more station, Lindbergh Center, was missing a defibrillator from its public cabinet, raising questions about the state of emergency preparedness across the transit system.
While some stations, like Five Points, still maintain accessible defibrillators, other high-traffic areas like the Airport station have had devices relocated or removed from public view, prompting further scrutiny.
According to Jetty, the decision to keep defibrillators in publicly accessible areas is based on surveillance monitoring and recent theft attempts.
“In stations where AEDs are in publicly accessible areas, appropriate monitoring measures are in place to help deter and prevent such thefts,” she wrote in an email to the AJC.
MARTA police officers were previously recognized by the Red Cross for their swift action in saving the lives of two men who experienced cardiac arrest in the same station within a single hour, showcasing the vital importance of having readily available AEDs at transit stations.
Research indicates that survival rates from sudden cardiac arrest decrease significantly with each moment that early defibrillation is delayed.
Studies show that survival rates can plummet from around 74% to 49% after just three minutes without defibrillation.
As a response to these challenges, Jetty mentioned that MARTA is striving to move defibrillators currently stored in staff rooms into more secure cabinets to improve accessibility and readiness in emergency situations, while also ensuring that MARTA police vehicles are equipped with AEDs.
image source from：ajc
