New AEDs for TRF

Thief River Falls Area Ambulance has placed ten defibrillators across the 12-hundred square miles they cover thanks to a grant from the Minnesota Department of Health.

There are still four AED's available, and the Thief River Falls Area Ambulance service says businesses have been happy to hang them on their walls in case of emergency.

"When someone goes into cardiac arrest, the key is early defibrillation," Brett Rima, TRF Area Ambulance Operations Manager, said.

Thief River Falls Area Ambulance was awarded a $25,000 grant from the Minnesota Department of Health- Office of Rural Health to buy automated external defibrillators, or AED's.

Ten of the AED's are already on the walls in churches, arenas, grocery stores, and schools.

"Looking for two things- places that have a larger population in the venue and also places that are very rural to us," Rima said.

Lincoln High School in Thief River Falls received one of the 14 AED's. They now have three, and principal Shane Zutz says every defibrillator is important.

"We have a wrestling room upstairs so if there's any emergencies that happen on this floor we can more easily and quickly are able to access the system," Lincoln High School Principal Shane Zutz said.

Along with receiving an AED, businesses also take part in a class to learn how to use them.

"The basics of doing good CPR, and then we also teach them the very basic steps to utilizing the AED," Rick Besser, TRF Area Ambulance Field Supervisor, said.

But the AED is so easy to use, Besser says anyone could do it.

"It's as simple as opening the case.." Besser demonstrated.

The defibrillator can also walk the user through CPR.

Each defibrillator package costs about $2,300. Part of the grant also covers the cost of training equipment to teach people how to properly use them.

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