A $1,000 grant was recently awarded to the Hempstead County Sheriff's Department to help purchase an automated external defibrillator for emergency heart treatment.
The grant for the defibrillator was awarded by the Blue and You Foundation established by the Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield, Sheriff James Singleton said.
"The AED will be assigned to one of the deputies to carry in their vehicle. The sheriff's office currently has eight AEDs assigned to deputies on patrol who are trained to use them in case of a cardiac event. Our goal is to have one in every deputy's vehicle, the command post, our dive team trailer, and our search-and-rescue Humvee," Singleton said.
Each defibrillator costs about $1,300.
A defibrillator is a lightweight, portable device that delivers an electric shock through the chest to the heart. The shock can stop an irregular heart rhythm and allow a normal rhythm to resume following sudden cardiac arrest, according to the Arkansas Heart Association.
"I would like to thank the Blue and You Foundation for its commitment to assist law enforcement and first responders. This piece of lifesaving equipment will allow our deputies to render aid when they arrive on a cardiac emergency," Singleton said.