Crime & Safety

Brewster Police Department Gets Defibrillator

Experts says the machine is the 'only effective treatment for restoring a regular heart rhythm during sudden cardiac arrest.'

Thanks to a $2,500 grant, the Brewster Police Department (BPD) is now equipped with an automated external defibrillator, a device known for saving lives.

Officers will take the machine with them while on patrol, according to Chief John DelGardo. In the event of a medical emergency where an individual is in cardiac arrest, the AED would come in handy.

"An AED is the only effective treatment for restoring a regular heart rhythm during sudden cardiac arrest and is an easy to operate tool for someone with no medical background," the American Red Cross states.

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Nearly all Brewster cops are certified to use the device, DelGardo said. Most BPD members underwent training in the fall, and the newest editions will do so soon.

The $2,500 John T. Sloper Community Fund grant from Community Foundations of the Hudson Valley covered the cost of the device and training, according to Village officials. 

Find out what's happening in Southeast-Brewsterwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

An AED was used at the Brewster Central School District campus in November, when a 44-year-old Southeast man went into cardiac arrest at a children's event. He survived the incident, which began when he fell to the floor in an unconscious state and began convulsing. 


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