Iowa awarded $10.1 million grant to put defibrillators in all law enforcement vehicles

In a cardiac emergency, every second counts toward that person living or dying.

That's why the Helmsley Charitable Trust has awarded a $10.1 million grant to the Iowa Department of Public Health's Bureau of Emergency and Trauma Services to provide all law enforcement agencies across the state with automatic external defibrillators, or AEDs.

The three-year grant will provide more than 4,000 AEDs to law enforcement agencies. The goal is to put a device in every law enforcement vehicle - whether it's a state, county, or city agency - as well as provide all law enforcement officers with the training needed to use the device effectively.

'This really is a golden opportunity for Iowa's law enforcement agencies, because it means that their officers will be better able to serve their communities,” said Dr. David Stilley, medical director of the IDPH Bureau of Emergency and Trauma Services.

In an emergency, law enforcement officers usually are the first to arrive - often beating the ambulance to the scene.

'So if that officer is equipped with a defibrillator, they can administer that lifesaving shock minutes sooner, which could enormously improve the chances of a positive outcome for that patient,” Stilley said.

Iowa has about 456 law enforcement agencies across the state, according to the IDPH. Of those, 451 agencies have expressed interest in receiving the devices, said Sarah Ekstrand, IDPH public information officer.

The 6th and 8th Judicial Districts, state fire marshal and the Meskwaki Nation also have expressed interest in participating.

The number of agencies in Iowa that do not have AEDs was not readily available.

'There are numerous law enforcement departments in Iowa that are not outfitted with AEDs,” said Iowa State Patrol spokesman Sgt. Alex Dinkla. 'I don't have an exact figure for you, but I can speak on behalf of my own agency (the Iowa State Patrol) and tell you that we don't have AEDs in our vehicles.”

The Iowa Department of Public Safety does not issue AEDs to its officers, he said.

In Cedar Rapids, Sgt. Michelle Omar, medical services coordinator for the Cedar Rapids Police Department, said the police department has 70 AED devices. The AED cases also have basic first aid supplies, including tourniquet and Narcan, an opioid reversal drug.

Cedar Rapids patrol officers check out AEDs when the start their shift and carry it with them in their vehicles. School resource officers and K-9 Unit officers have AEDs permanently issued to them because they are assigned to specific vehicles.

Linn County Sheriff Brian Gardener said all Patrol Division and Civil Division vehicles are equipped with AEDs, totaling about 40 devices.

Iowa City, Capt. Denise Bretherton said all police vehicles are equipped with the devices. And Johnson County Sheriff Brad Kunkel said all of the department's patrol vehicles are equipped with AEDs, as well.

Regardless of whether an agency already is equipped with AEDs, Stilley said he hopes all of Iowa's agencies will take the new devices, so every law enforcement officer in the state will be carrying the same device, creating consistency in officer training and patient care.

Departments that already have AEDs can donate them to their communities to be placed in common areas such as public libraries and government buildings, Stilley said.

'For every minute that goes by before the person is defibrillated, their chance of surviving a cardiac event drops by 10 percent,” Stilley added. 'And equipping every police officer with an AED device could drastically cut down that wait time, which will likely lead to a better outcome for the patient.”

Acquiring the grant has been nearly two years in the making, Stilley said, and all that's left now is to get these AEDs into the hands of law enforcement agencies.

'I really do believe this is a win-win situation for everyone,” he said. 'And it really is a huge opportunity for the law enforcement agencies across the state. So we are just eager to get the ball rolling and get these devices into the hands of our law enforcement agencies so they can start doing some good.”

Comments: (319) 398-8238; kat.russell@thegazette.com

In a cardiac event, immediate action makes a difference

When a person suffers a heart attack, it triggers what the American Heart Association calls the 'Out-of-Hospital Chain of Survival,” which outlines the chain of events that must occur in rapid succession to maximize the chances of survival from sudden cardiac arrest.

The chain includes six links:

' Recognition of cardiac arrest and activation of the emergency response system - calling 911

' Early cardiopulmonary resuscitation with an emphasis on chest compressions

' Rapid defibrillation (using an automated external defibrillator)

' Advanced resuscitation by emergency medical services and other health care providers

' Post-cardiac arrest care

' Recovery (including additional treatment, observation, rehabilitation and psychological support)