Kendall County Sheriff's Office Receives Life-Saving Devices

When someone is having a medical emergency, often the police are the first to arrive on the scene. Now when police arrive they can begin life-saving measures thanks to a grant that helped the Kendall County Sheriff’s Office acquire seven automated external defibrillators, according to a release from the sheriff’s office.

The sheriff’s office received grant funding from Com-Ed for six of the AEDs, with the seventh donated by the distributor, Second Chance Cardiac Solutions located in Yorkville. The sheriff’s office had no out of pocket cost for these life saving devices.

Patrol and corrections deputies received training on the AEDs, and the life-saving devices are now being carried with deputies while on duty. The Zoll brand AEDs received by the sheriff’s office are not only fully automatic defibrillators, they also provide feedback regarding CPR. The AEDs coach the user to ensure CPR is at the correct pace, and at the correct depth; they are a valuable tool for police. The AEDs received are also compatible with many of those used by Kendall County Fire and EMS departments, streamlining the process of getting critically ill patients to an emergency room.

“The goal of any first responder is the preservation of life. Often times the police are first on the scene, and having the ability to intervene in a life or death situation quickly will benefit Kendall County residents, and will save lives,” Kendall County Sheriff Dwight Baird said. “The fact we were able to obtain these machines at no cost to the taxpayer is even better.”

The grant application was written by Deputy Jennifer Bresnahan, who started with the sheriff’s office in 2012. Bresnahan spearheaded the project and ultimately won the grant for the office.

The Kendall County Sheriff’s Office would like to extend its gratitude to Com-Ed, as the grant money they provided secured the ability to purchase these machines. The grant money was received through Com-Ed’s National Safety Council, which provides grants for community safety improvements. The sheriff’s office would also like to extend its thanks to Bryan and Elizabeth Heriaud, owners of the Yorkville-based Second Chance Cardiac Solutions for their assistance and for donating an AED.

“We are very excited to support the efforts of the Kendall County Sheriff’s Department as they equip their deputies with life-saving AEDs,” President and Marketing Manager Elizabeth Heriaud said. “Often times in an emergency, a deputy is the first to arrive on the scene. With an action plan and AEDs on board, the citizens of Kendall County will have a greater chance of survival in a cardiac event.”