Up to ten times a month, a Prince’s Lakes police officer is the first responder to a medical emergency call.
If a resident is having a heart issue, officers now have the most up-to-date equipment to save a life.
The town received a $10,000 grant from the Johnson County Community Foundation to replace three automated external defibrillators in three of the police cars. The three defibrillators the cars previously had were about 10 years old and needed replacing, town council member Michael Gallamore said.
“It is very, very good use of community resources to put them in our patrol cars,” he said.
The three older defibrillators will be refurbished and placed at town buildings, including town hall and the street department, he said.
“It is going to save lives, we believe in our community,” he said.
Town council members spent about $5,000 on the three new defibrillators by getting a discount by ordering in bulk with other police departments and fire stations, he said. The town returned the money not spent, as required by the grant.
Other communities will benefit from them as well, Gallamore said.
Prince’s Lakes officers can also respond to medical emergency calls in other nearby communities, such as Edinburgh, Trafalgar and Cordry-Sweetwater, Gallamore said.
“It is just a great community thing,” he said.
