Flagler Beach Accepts $20,000 Gift from Susan Smith for 5 AEDs in Late Husband's Memory

The Flagler Beach Fire Department and city government on Tuesday marked a $20,000 donation to the city’s Volunteer Fire Association to install five Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) in public spaces throughout the city.

Susan Smith presented the gift at City Hall to honors the memory of her husband, Mark Hietpas, who died in a rip current in the British Virgin Islands two years ago.

Guests of the resort were able to use the onsite AED to try to resuscitate him, Smith wrote on a GoFundMe page that raised almost $20,000, but it was too late. “However 1,700 other families will get to continue loving on their person this year because a bystander administered life saving measures using an AED,” she wrote. She has since spearheaded the effort to increase bystander access to the life-saving devices.

The funding covers the hardware for the five locations and provides supplies for the city’s current stock of AEDs. Fire department officials and Mayor Patti King met with community members to mark the contribution, which aims to put medical equipment in high-traffic or high-need areas. Those in attendance included the Flagler Beach Fire Department’s Lt. Morgan Rainey, Retired Fire Chief Robert Creal, Fire Inspector Bruce Adams, and numerous community members who have supported the effort to expand public access to emergency medical equipment.

“Ensuring these devices are widely available not only honors Mark’s memory, but strengthens the safety of our entire community,” Smith said.

The new AED units will be placed in high-traffic or high-need areas designated in coordination with the Flagler Beach Fire Department to maximize accessibility during emergencies. The City and Fire Department will share additional details about installation locations in the coming weeks.

“We are deeply grateful to Susan and to everyone who helped make this possible,” King said.