The Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office is now in the process of equipping patrol vehicles with ZOLL brand Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs). Right now, thirteen marked patrol vehicles are equipped with AEDs and prominently displayed “AED” decals. Soon, fourteen more patrol vehicles will be equipped and marked in the same manner. CPR, use of AEDs, and First Aid are part of the Sheriff’s Office’s regular, ongoing training to ensure high-quality, competent customer service in Lincoln County.
Sheriff Curtis Landers stated, “The lifesaving tools we’ve implemented in the past, such as the opioid overdose versal drug NARCAN, field tourniquets, and hemostatic agents, have allowed deputies to save lives. These AEDs provide our deputies with an additional lifesaving tool and further our mission to enhance public safety.”
Early access to an AED and high-quality CPR are integral components of surviving cardiac arrest and Sheriff’s Deputies are routinely dispatched to all known cardiac arrest incidents in Lincoln County to provide this care. If an AED delivers a shock within the first three to five minutes after a person's heart stops, studies show, the odds of survival are 60 percent to 70 percent. In recent years, the availability of these lifesaving tools and training has allowed Lincoln County Sheriff’s Deputies to provide immediate emergency medical care in situations where Law Enforcement arrives prior to Emergency Medical Services (EMS); effectively supplementing our Fire Department and EMS partners and saving lives.