NICHOLASVILLE, KY. (LEX 18) — The Nicholasville Police Department has invested in a new portable automated external defibrillator device to hopefully increase response times to cardiac emergencies and reduce the opioid overdose fatality rate.
The new life-saving device was pitched to Chief Michael Fleming of the Nicholasville Police Department and Jessamine County Sheriff's Office by the Chief of Jessamine County EMS.
Nicholasville Police Department rolled out the devices about three weeks ago to allow all officers access to a portable automated external defibrillator, or AED.
“It is considered a smart AED, so it is GPS-enabled," explains Fleming.
Back in February, the Jessamine County Sheriff's Office and Nicholasville Police Department proposed to use funds from an opioid settlement to Jessamine County Fiscal Court for county-wide implementation of law enforcement AED/naloxone Kits.
“And it’s just so easy to use. All you have to do is pull it out and pull these red tabs out which is an example of the pads. You stick the pads on the person and it goes into full auto mode," said Fleming.
The device walks officers through CPR and lets them know when to remove their hands from the patient so a shock can be administered.
According to heart.com, a study included more than 360,000 cardiac arrest cases from 2017 to 2021, and only 8% of those were caused by drug overdoses.
“It also has a Spanish mode on it in case someone that’s a non-officer or can’t speak Spanish is using the AED, can give the instructions in Spanish," Fleming details.
He also goes on to explain that the device connects to dispatch. If there's an emergency within a mile radius of the AED, the device will be alerted to the address of that cardiac emergency.
“It’s important because time is of the essence when it comes to saving a life and what we used to have," said Fleming. "We used to have about six of these older style AEDs and they were traded officer to officer as shifts changed and things like that.” Which can make it difficult in a life-threatening situation.
Fleming says 85 AEDs were purchased for NPD and safety officers. Officers are allowed to take them home after their shift and use them in any emergency.
“You know the biggest thing I’m trying to do here with Nicholasville Police Department is to break beyond the boundaries of traditional policing and doing this sort of thing is not traditional policing," explains Fleming. "If we can place a life-saving tool in every officer's hand that’s what we want to do.”
Fleming says the only other police department in Kentucky that can utilize the new device is the Alexandria Police Department in Campbell County. The device saved a life on the first day it was rolled out.
He encourages other departments across the Bluegrass to reach out with any questions.
