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State health officials gathered in the capital Wednesday to celebrate a milestone in rural emergency care.
North Dakota first responders must cover expansive rural areas, making efficiency and targeted care crucial. In the past five years, an initiative equipping North Dakota law enforcement with automated external defibrillators, or AEDs, has saved an estimated 90 lives, according to Michael Achterling of the North Dakota Monitor.
The program was funded by a $4.3 million grant from the Helmsley Charitable Trust, and it has deployed 1,700 AEDs to local, state, and tribal law enforcement since 2021. Officials said that in rural stretches where ambulances are further away, these “patrol-ready” devices are often the difference between life and death.
The ND Monitor reports that Patsy Hudkins of Velva suffered a heart attack while working in 2023. McHenry County Deputy Adam McTaggart was first on the scene, using his cruiser-equipped AED to deliver a life-saving shock before an ambulance could arrive.
“Having even that extra five minutes is huge,” Hudkins told reporters.
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