News : Vinton Police have 3rd confirmed 'save' with Automatic External Defibrillators

The Vinton Police Department had it's third confirmed defibrillator "save" on Sunday, July 11th, shortly before 7 p.m.

North Benton Ambulance was dispatched to the sidewalk in front of the Pizza Ranch restaurant in Vinton for a report of a man who had collapsed. When Vinton Police arrived, it was immediately determined the 52 year old Palo man was in cardiac arrest. Vinton Police officers delivered one shock to the patient's heart and a viable pulse was restored. The patient was transported to Virginia Gay Hospital by North Benton Ambulance, and later transferred to St. Lukes Hospital in Cedar Rapids, and is expected to make a full recovery.

"We started this program, in conjunction with North Benton Ambulance, in May of 2001" Jeff Tilson, Vinton Police Chief said today. "In that period of time, we now have 3 people from the Vinton area who are literally still alive and with us today, only because of these devices."

Automatic External Defibrillators are small electronic devices that, when applied to a cardiac arrest patient, can immediately diagnose a life-threatening heart rhythm, and if appropriate, deliver a shock to the victim's heart to restore a life sustaining cardiac rhythm to the patient. Vinton Police officers all took the training to use these devices on their own time, Tilson added.

"I couldn't be prouder of these guys. Believe it or not, we get into this line of work to help people, and it's situations like this that makes it all worthwhile to us."

Vinton Police routinely respond to any emergency ambulance call within the City of Vinton or the immediate surrounding area as a matter of policy. "We can almost always get to the scene of a medical emergency 3-5 minutes faster than the ambulance because we're already out, and don't have to respond to the garage and go from there." Tilson said. "That 3-5 minutes can literally be the difference between life and death in a cardiac emergency."

The Vinton Police Department's 3 newest A.E.D.'s were purchased in 2009 with financial assistance from the Benton Community Foundation, the Vinton Lions Club, Janssen Waterproofing of Van Horne, and the Carl Pippert Memorial.