Somerset Co. EMS Secures Grant to Equip Deputies with AEDs

Image Courtesy of Somerset County Sheriff’s Office

SOMERSET COUNTY, Md. – Somerset County Emergency Medical Services (SCEMS) has partnered with the Somerset County Sheriff’s Office (SCSO) to place Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) in deputies patrol vehicles throughout the county.

Through a grant recently awarded by the Somerset County Health Department and secured by SCEMS Deputy Chief Cory Polidore, every deputy will now have access to an AED while on duty, enhancing the county’s ability to provide rapid, lifesaving care during cardiac emergencies. Because law enforcement is often the first public safety professionals to arrive on the scene of an emergency, equipping them with AEDs allows them to begin critical interventions begore EMS personnel arrive.

“Early defibrillation is one of the most effective interventions for cardiac arrest,” Deputy Chief Polidore said. “By placing AEDs in the hands of our law enforcement partners, we are expanding access to lifesaving treatment and improving outcomes for residents and visitors alike. This partnership ensures that more trained responders can deliver care during those critical first moments of an emergency.”

Deputies will be receiving AED training in the coming weeks and will continue to work alongside EMS personnel.