BISMARCK, N.D. (NewsDakota.com) – In an effort to improve rural health care in North Dakota, The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust has awarded the North Dakota Department of Health (NDDoH) a $4.3 million grant designed to equip law enforcement officers statewide with the next generation “connected” Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs).
The Helmsley North Dakota Law Enforcement AED Project will supply approximately 1,700 devices to local, state, tribal, and federal North Dakota Law Enforcement agencies.
One of Helmsley’s Rural Healthcare Program initiatives is to fund projects that connect rural populations to the latest medical therapies in remote areas. The AEDs selected for distribution throughout the state utilize the latest breakthroughs in defibrillation technology.
Studies conducted by the American Heart Association demonstrate a dramatically higher survival rate for cardiac patients shocked by law enforcement, who are generally first on the scene, especially in rural areas. The Helmsley Charitable Trust is helping law enforcement agencies acquire industry-leading AEDs that analyze heart rhythms through CPR, reduce pauses and allow for improved blood circulation to increase the odds of survival. Using Wi-Fi connectivity, these self-monitoring devices can report their status to a centralized online data repository, allowing law enforcement agencies to know their devices are ready or are in need of maintenance. The information collected by these devices also allows state health departments to improve response to cardiac arrest and demonstrates how swift law enforcement response gives patients a better chance of survival.
“This partnership will save lives by getting the best defibrillator technology into the hands of law enforcement,” said Dirk Wilke, interim state health officer. “We’re grateful for the partnership with Helmsley and the investment in North Dakota.”
“We’re already seeing lives saved from the hard work of everyone involved in South Dakota, Montana, and Wyoming,” said Walter Panzirer, a trustee of The Helmsley Charitable Trust. “The data from these state-wide initiatives show our officers are providing excellent CPR. We’re excited to work with North Dakotans to help save more lives.”
The NDDoH Division of Emergency Medical Systems is overseeing the project. The new devices will be placed, and training conducted, during the first quarter of 2021. AEDs previously used by some agencies may be relocated throughout communities increasing the number of AEDs accessible to the public.
For more information, contact the Division of Emergency Medical Systems, NDDoH, at 701-328-2388.