Officials with the Fremont County Sheriff’s office report that on Wednesday, Southwest Iowa Home Health Services (a Department of the George C. Grape Community Hospital and home of the Fremont County Public Health Department) presented Sheriff Kevin Aistrope with five brand new Automated External Defibrillator (AED) systems.

Jamie Behrends, RN, is the Director of Home and Community Based Services/Disaster Coordinator for SW IA Home Health. She said in a statement, that they learned there are a total of eight vehicles utilized by the Sheriff’s department. All of the deputies are deemed first responders and are CPR certified. Behrends says they were “A bit surprised to learn that not a single [Sheriff’s Department] vehicle is equipped with an Automated External Defibrillator.” She added, that “According to the CDC,less than 8% of people who experience a heart attack while outside of the hospital survive.”

Armed with that information, Behrends said they began the process of obtaining quotes and approval from both state emergency preparedness grant contacts as well from the other members of the Corner 3 Coalition (C3C) [which consists of public health departments and hospitals from Fremont, Page, and Montgomery counties], and used grant funds from both their own allotment as well as from the C3C pot of funds to cover the cost of new AED’s. Behrends said “Our hope is that this gift will reach many and assist our deputies in providing the best possible initial care to those in need.”

Fremont County Sheriff Kevin Aistrope said “The Sheriff’s Office couldn’t be more grateful for this donation, since the Deputies are first responders and will help the Deputies better serve the people of Fremont County. “