With the help of a grant from Maine Emergency Management and the Department of Homeland Security, the Aroostook County Emergency Management Agency recently purchased 46 automatic external defibrillators for approximately $47,000.
This project for law enforcement will allow us to put this life saving device in every police vehicle in Aroostook County, said Aroostook EMA Director Darren Woods.
“This is a project that I’m very excited to see move forward. Agencies will start to receive these devices as early as this week,” he said.
Each unit includes an automatic external defibrillator, two sets of adult pads, one set of pediatric pads and a hard carrying case.
“We are extremely thankful to be issued this equipment,” said Chief Chris Hayes of the Presque Isle Police Department. “Having these AEDs in our cruisers will help us to provide a more immediate response and we hope it will increase public confidence knowing that law enforcement is equipped to handle this type of emergency.”
More than 350,000 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests occur every year in the United States, said Dr. Beth Collamore, Region 5 Emergency Medical Services medical director. Less than 12 percent of those patients will have an automatic defibrillator applied before emergency medical services arrive.
“Return of spontaneous circulation is positively impacted by early CPR and defibrillation,” Collamore said. “Putting AEDs in the hands of law enforcement officers may prevent delays in life-saving interventions and strengthen the chain of survival in out-of-hospital cardiac arrests.”
“Aroostook EMA Director Darren Woods spearheaded the project and without him this would not be happening,” Aroostook County Sheriff Peter Johnson said. “The Aroostook County Sheriff’s Office is committed to serving the residents of Aroostook County, and in the event of a medical emergency, having the life saving equipment readily available may make the difference between life and death.”
