Area Law Enforcement Trains With New AEDs

Area Law Enforcement Trains With New AEDs

A group of about twelve law enforcement officers from the Northern Panhandle spent their Tuesday morning at the Chadron Police Department as they received instruction on the use of AEDs that have recently been provided to departments all across the state.

Word of the distribution of the automated external defibrillators through a $6.4-million grant given to the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services was announced on Monday afternoon.

Eight AEDs will be given to each the Chadron PD and Dawes County Sheriff’s Office to carry in each patrol vehicle.

Chadron Police Chief Rick Hickstein says that the AEDs will be a great benefit to the department and to the safety of the community.

It's going to increase our ability to serve and protect, even on rescue calls especially medical issues that arise in the department. We've used AEDs in the field for numerous years successfully and unsuccessfully but we know that chances of saving a life with the AED goes up exponentially. 

Instead of just having three in the department that we were rotating between cars, every single car in the department will now be equipped with an AED. 

The instruction on proper use of the AEDs was given by members of Stryker, a medical equipment company with a regional office in Denver, and the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services.