Autauga County Sheriff's Office Secures Grant Funding for Deputies' AED Equipment

Grant funding routed through the Alabama Sheriff's Association, drawn from Opioid Settlement reserves, equipped the Autauga County Sheriff's Office with 10 automated external defibrillators, seven Mobilize Rescue Comprehensive Trauma Kits and 40 tactical lightweight shields, according to county officials and reporting by the Montgomery Advertiser.

The AEDs and trauma kits will be distributed across the department's highest-need locations: patrol supervisors' vehicles, the sheriff's office inside the Autauga County Courthouse, the courthouse itself, and the Autauga Metro Jail. The trauma kits will also reach the five rural schools in the county where the sheriff's office stations school resource officers: Autaugaville School, Billingsley School, Pine Level Elementary School, Marbury Middle School and Marbury High School.

Sheriff Mark Harrell pointed to the county's geography as the driving rationale behind the acquisition. "A lot of the times our deputies are the first on the scene," he said. "There are places where response can take time, just because of the size of the county. This equipment will allow us to provide life-saving treatment while help is on the way from the volunteer fire departments and the ambulances."

Deputies have already been trained on proper use of both the AEDs and the Mobilize Rescue Comprehensive Trauma Kits, according to county officials. The 10 AEDs and seven trauma kits were supplied by Go Rescue/Zoll.

The 40 tactical lightweight shields, also part of the acquisition, are intended for placement in each patrol deputy's vehicle to provide protection in active shooter situations, both across the county and within its schools.

The American Heart Association estimates more than 350,000 cardiac arrests occur outside of hospitals each year in the United States, a figure Sheriff Harrell's office cited when explaining the value of putting AEDs directly in deputies' hands. "AEDs have been proven in allowing our deputies to respond effectively while assisting the Autauga County firefighters and medical personnel," Harrell said. "We are thankful for everyone involved in allowing us to obtain this critical lifesaving equipment. Our commitment remains unchanged: to protect the citizens of Autauga County, to support the dedicated law enforcement professionals who serve them, and to ensure that our deputies meet the standards of safety and justice our community deserves."

Harrell said his longer-term goal is to secure additional funding to place AEDs and trauma kits in every patrol deputy's vehicle, not just in supervisors' cars and fixed county facilities. "I am committed to doing what we can as sheriff to get the equipment needed in the hands of our sheriff deputies," he said. "This equipment may not only save the deputies' lives but also the citizens of Autauga County.