LANSING, Mich. (Michigan News Source) – According to the Michigan State Police (MSP), 340 AEDs (automated external defibrillators) have been distributed to troopers across the state, which will put an AED in about half of the department’s patrol fleet. According to a statement from the MSP, “troopers are trained in AED use as part of the department’s existing first aid curriculum.”
Lori Dougovito, Public Affairs Representative with the Michigan State Police said the AEDs “went to the individual districts to be divided among posts.”
AEDs are portable electronic devices used to save people who are experiencing sudden cardiac arrest, which, according to the American Red Cross, is the leading cause of death in the United States with more than 350,000 people suffering a cardiac arrest each year. 90% of those arrests are fatal according to the American Heart Association (AHA).
Defibrillation uses the application of electricity which stops the arrhythmia, allowing the heart to re-establish an effective rhythm.
Lt. Col. Dale Hinz, commander of the Field Operations Bureau, says, “A trooper is often the first emergency responder to arrive when someone contacts 9-1-1 for a medical emergency. We know moments matter. The faster we can assist, the better the chance of survival. Previously, we had far fewer of these lifesaving devices scattered throughout the state.”
The department was able to purchase 340 Powerheart G5 AEDs for a cost of $486,630 with funding from position vacancies. That comes out to a little over $1,400 per unit.
Hinz said, “We receive roughly 10 donated devices each year from generous efforts like ‘Bolt for the Heart’ and we are extremely grateful for any donations we receive. We will gladly continue to accept donated AEDs to keep adding to our stock and to replace older models but being able to make this purchase will surely save lives.”
Proof of having the opportunity for that kind of life-saving moment happened in Sheridan, Wyoming in June during a welfare check. Cpl. Curtis Jorgensen and officer Brad Wood of the Sheridan Police Department, looked through a homeowner’s window, saw blood and a man partially slumped on the floor. After entering the home and seeing the man was not breathing, Jorgensen ordered Wood bring start CPR while he retrieved an AED from his patrol vehicle. The man’s life was saved and the men were recognized with Life-Saving medals for their efforts.
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More of these kind of life-saving events will have the opportunity to take place across Michigan as more police vehicles get equipped with the AEDs.
The mission of Michigan’s Bolt for the Heart, the group that Hinz descriped, is to place an AED in each MSP patrol car. The program is in memory of MSP Sgt. Peter McNamara (1963-2018), an Ogemaw County MSP Sgt. who passed away in his sleep after spending 30 years with the Michigan State Police.
The 5th Annual Bolt for the Heart 5K Run/Walk and 10K Run will be held on May 20, 2023. The 2022 event had more than 210 participants and raised over $8,000 which was able to place six AEDs in the patrol cars of the MSP. A seventh AED was donated from the Indiana Bolt from the Heart a non-profit organization, whose goal is to save as many lives as possible by placing AEDs in their law enforcement patrol cars.
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