When Nehalem Bay Fire & Rescue’s Division Chief of Training, Jesse Walsh, returned from training at the Resuscitation Academy in Seattle earlier this year, he came back with a class project and a mission: To reduce the number of deaths in Tillamook County from cardiac arrests outside the hospital setting.
Jesse’s goal was to put an automated external defibrillator (AED) in every police car in Tillamook County. Jesse, also an Oregon certified Paramedic, recognized that Tillamook County’s three local police agencies can have personnel patrolling the entirety of Tillamook County at any given time – and time is of the essence when responding to a cardiac arrest. “The police can often be the first to arrive on the scene of a medical emergency,” said Jesse.
With funding help from the Riggert Family Foundation, individual donors like Walt and Laura Kastner, and the support of the Nehalem Bay Fire District Association, Jesse was able to raise $18,000 dollars in his initial fundraising effort, which was enough to purchase 12 AEDs.
This will put these much needed lifesaving devices in four vehicles of each local law enforcement agency’s (Tillamook County Sheriff’s Office, Manzanita Police and Tillamook Police) patrol vehicles. “I hope to get the remaining local patrol vehicles and local Oregon State Police vehicles equipped in the next round of funding,” said Jesse.
Each law enforcement agency were given their initial four AEDs in a recent ceremony at Tillamook 911, which had supporters and agency representatives in attendance. “The Tillamook County Sheriff’s Office is very grateful for Jesse’s efforts in obtaining these AEDs for us, and our law enforcement partners. I predict they will save lives and make a real difference,” said Sgt. Troy Jackson upon receiving TCSO’s four AEDs.
If you are interested in donating towards the purchase of AEDs to be placed in local police patrol vehicles, please contact Nehalem Bay Fire and Rescue’s Division Chief Jesse Walsh at J.Walsh@nbfrd.org