A grant from The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust to the Center for Resuscitation Medicine (CRM) at the University of Minnesota will provide law enforcement, state and national parks, and other first responders with automatic external defibrillators (AEDs) to improve cardiac arrest survival rates.
The three-year project funded through an $18.8 million grant from Helmsley aims to equip every law enforcement vehicle in the state with a Stryker CR2 AED and train law enforcement professionals to deliver immediate care prior to arrival of Emergency Medical Services (EMS) and improve cardiac arrest survival rates. The investment is the latest effort from Helmsley to increase access to these lifesaving devices, which are key to treating victims of cardiac arrest and improving patient outcomes. In partnership with the University of Minnesota Medical School, 8,300 AEDs will be distributed to local, state, and federal agencies across urban, suburban, and rural Minnesota. The AEDs will be distributed throughout the state by region. A plan is also in place to consider urgent needs so that an agency does not need to wait for their region to be eligible.
The grant is to replace all devices in an agency plus any additional needs. Any department participating must accept units for every vehicle in their fleet; the grant is not for single or additional needs. This will ensure that your department has the newest equipment and can benefit from the comprehensive service and quality assurance plans that are included with the AED.
The requirements of the grant are very easy. One person from your agency must attend regional training and they will be given tools to bring back to share with the entire department. Once the training at your department is complete, AEDs will be shipped directly to your department, typically within a couple weeks. A team at Stryker and the CRM will be available to assist with implementation.
There are several additional benefits of this program, including an 8-year service plan that includes a case review and unit management tool for free.
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 in need of maintenance. For more information about this unique grant program, watch this KSTP news story or visit the Minnesota AED Project website for additional materials.
Applications are submitted through the Helmsley Trust’s Grants Portal and you may email mnaed@umn.edu with questions about this grant or contact me direct at tstille@lmc.org or by phone at (651) 215-4051.
Remember: Responder Safety = Public Safety
In the meantime, stay safe and be careful!
Tracy
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