TINA L. SCOTT
EDITOR
On Aug. 27, Lincoln County Sheriff Ken Schneider announced all Lincoln County patrol Deputies will now carry AEDs in their patrol units. An AED is short for an automated external defibrillator. According to the American Red Cross, an AED is used to help those experiencing sudden cardiac arrest by analyzing a patient’s heart rhythm and, if necessary, delivering an electrical shock, or defibrillation, to help the heart re-establish an effective rhythm. Early use of an AED during sudden cardiac incidents can achieve a nearly 40% survival rate according to the American Heart Association.
The AEDs were purchased using funding from federal drug seizures based on local investigations and money issued locally from the federal CARES Act, according to a press release from the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Department.
All Deputies were recently trained in use of the AEDs and were also recertified in CPR.