BPD receives grant for AEDs

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In an ongoing effort to improve the cardiac system of care in the Upper Midwest, The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust has awarded a grant of $6.4 million to equip every law enforcement agency as well as Nebraska Game and Parks facilities with the next generation of Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs). The grant, facilitated through the Nebraska Department of Health & Human Services, Division of Public Health, will fund devices to be placed in law enforcement vehicles in Blair. The project includes training. 

“Seconds count during a cardiac arrest,” said Walter Panzirer, a Helmsley trustee. “We know in Nebraska first responders often have great distances to cover. This funding will ensure those who get to the scene before EMS arrives give patients a better shot at survival.”

“On behalf of myself, the Blair Police Department, we are incredibly grateful for the generous donation from the Helmsley Charitable Trust Grant and all of the partners involved in this project,” Capt. Travis Lyon said. “While the Blair Police Department has been deploying AEDs in the field for several years, the addition of these new AEDs will be used by our uniform patrol staff to provide immediate lifesaving technology for members of our community when time is critical to recovery, enhancing our capabilities during emergency calls involving a person in cardiac arrest.”