One West Tennessee sheriff’s department focuses on life saving equipment for every patrol vehicle
CROCKETT COUNTY, Tenn.– When seconds matter, and lives are on the line, the Crockett County Sheriff’s Department wants to make sure they have the tools necessary for the call.
An AED or Automated External Defibrillator is a device used to help those experiencing sudden cardiac arrest. Around two years ago, the Crockett County Sheriff’s Department applied for a grant through the Friends of Heart foundation in Jackson. With this, they were able to obtain 8 AED’s. But they didn’t stop at 8.
“Just recently, the sheriff acquired 8 more AED’s which would allow every patrol unit, every deputy, to have an AED in their vehicle so they can respond to these events throughout the county,” said Stephen Sutton, the Public Information Officer for the Crockett County Sheriff’s Department.
And these AED’s have already been used in emergency situations multiple times. Sutton shared with us two separate calls that required an AED. The first, a man who was suffering from cardiac arrest, was saved by the AED’s and the deputies that responded.
“The deputies arrived on scene first with two AED’s. Multiple shocks were delivered to the patient. The deputies arrived with the AED in less than two minutes after they were dispatched to the call,” said Sutton.
A second incident, more recently in February, saw two deputies, Amador and Pitts, render life saving aid via a defibrillator that was included in their patrol vehicle. In this call, the two were able to resuscitate a victim who suffered cardiac arrest.
“We take every call seriously and for us to be CPR ready, AED ready in our county to be able to provide these life saving defibrilations in just moments of their family members calling 9-1-1,” said Sutton.
Sutton included every deputy receives CPR and AED training. He also wanted to give thanks to the Friends of Heart organization for their assistance in helping the Crockett County Sheriff’s Department allocate funding for the AED’s.
