HOULTON, Maine — Deputies with the Aroostook County Sheriff’s Office will be better equipped to handle emergencies thanks to funding from the Department of Homeland Security.
According to Sheriff Darrel Crandall, Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) are now present in every deputy’s vehicle in the event that a deputy may be called upon to provide emergency care until an ambulance arrives.
“This was an initiative brought to us by the Sheriff’s Department because they recognized the large geographical area that they cover and that there may be times where they would be at a scene prior to an ambulance arriving, allowing them to save a life by having this equipment,” said Darren Woods Aroostook County EMA director. “We agreed with their assessment and were happy to be able to assist them with this purchase. We also purchased an additional unit for the Fort Fairfield Police Department.”
The units were purchased with Homeland Security funding that was left from a previous grant. The Aroostook County EMA was able to save some of that money by purchasing items at a lower than anticipated cost, Woods said. His office was able to get the ACSO five AED units costing about $1,040 each. Three other units were purchased by saving money over a two-year period, Crandall said, so that all eight sheriff’s vehicles would be equipped.
In addition to the AEDs, each vehicle was also equipped with a more complete emergency kit.
Crandall said Walt Mosher of Crown Ambulance recently came to the Sheriff’s Office in Houlton to do cardio-pulmonary training with deputies and while he was there, Mosher also gave the deputies training on how to use the devices.
Crandall noted that deputies would not be circumventing ambulance personnel and would only provide care at the level they are trained to do so.
“We are trying to give our deputies the gear that, God forbid, they might have to use,” Crandall said. “They say with cardiac issues, that timing is everything, so if one of our deputies get their quicker and can get some stabilization and the heart beating again, that is a good thing.”
