CULLMAN, Ala. – The Cullman County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO) and Cullman County Commission recently made what the CCSO called a “substantial investment” into the lives of Cullman County residents. The CCSO partnered with Birmingham-based Cardiac Solutions to provide life-saving equipment for the sheriff’s office.
A media release from Sheriff Matt Gentry said Gentry purchased 80 automated external defibrillators (AEDs) from Cardiac Solutions.
According to Cullman County Administrator John Bullard, the total amount for all the AEDs, setup, service and warranty is $333,060. “This will be paid mostly from opioid response dollars. The first payment of $25,000 has already been paid by the sheriff’s department and the opioid funds will pick up from there,” he said. At the March 19 meeting of the Cullman County Commission, the commission “approved the use of opioid settlement funds to install AED devices in select senior centers and patrol/first responder vehicles.”
“This will allow every patrol deputy and school resource deputy to have the equipment in their vehicle. There will also be AEDs throughout the sheriff’s office and detention center. The remainder will be placed in the full-time senior centers located throughout Cullman County,” said the media release.
Cardiac Solutions will reportedly provide the necessary training to ensure everyone is able to effectively use the equipment. According to the CCSO, Cardiac Solutions is the only company that can offer “camera remote monitoring 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.”
“The safety and security of the (residents) of Cullman County have always been the priority for the sheriff’s office. Keeping people alive is obviously a big part of this. Our deputies are the first responders; they are the first ones on the scene of wrecks, accidents, assaults and other types of injury-related incidents,” Gentry said. “It is their job to secure the scene and keep everyone alive until the medical professionals get there. I would like to personally thank the Cullman County Commission for partnering with us and helping to make this happen. These AEDs are a wonderful tool that will help save lives and hopefully give our (residents) a little more peace of mind.”
Jon Seale, CEO of Cardiac Solutions, expressed his support for the CCSO, saying, “The Cullman County Sheriff’s Office (sic) commitment to safety and readiness is commendable. Equipping vehicles and public spaces with AEDs, and AED camera remote monitoring, is a crucial step in improving survival rates during cardiac emergencies. We are proud to collaborate with Sheriff Gentry and the Cullman County commissioners on this life-saving endeavor.”
The AEDs are currently at the CCSO and will be issued to deputies as they receive the necessary training.
