Mont. LE agencies get $6M to put defibrillators around the state

The 2,000 AED units will be distributed to 135 organizations statewide, as well as 14 state and several county parks

Holly K. Michels
The Missoulian

HELENA, Mont. — Law enforcement agencies around the state will get 2,200 automatic electronic defibrillators, a tool that can help improve the survival rates following cardiac arrest, paid for with a $6 million grant from the Helmsley Charitable Trust.

The state Department of Public Health and Human Services will handle the distribution of the units to 135 organizations around the state. That includes the Montana Highway Patrol, county sheriff offices, local police departments, tribal law enforcement, campus police and game wardens. Units will also be installed at visitor centers in national parks, as well as 14 state and several county parks.

Steve Crawford, chief of police for the Bozeman Police Department, said that even in his more urban town, officers often arrive before emergency medical workers because they're out on patrol. He said before the grant Bozeman only had five defibrillators, but now they'll be able to place one in every officer's patrol car.

Full story: Montana gets $6 million to put defibrillators around the state