AED Grant Program Celebrates Lives Saved
Summary
North Dakota Health and Human Services, in partnership with The Helmsley Charitable Trust, is celebrating the success of a grant program that provided over 1,700 Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) to law enforcement agencies. The program is credited with saving an estimated 90 lives.
What changed
This media advisory announces an event to celebrate the outcomes of a multi-year Automated External Defibrillator (AED) equipment grant program. The program, funded by The Helmsley Charitable Trust, distributed over 1,700 AEDs to law enforcement agencies across North Dakota. The advisory highlights that these AEDs have been used approximately 1,000 times, resulting in an estimated 90 lives saved, and features a survivor's story.
This event is primarily informational and celebratory, focusing on the positive impact of the grant program. While it underscores the importance of AED access for first responders, particularly in rural areas, it does not introduce new regulatory requirements or compliance obligations for regulated entities. The primary audience for this notice would be public health officials, community partners, and potentially law enforcement agencies that benefited from the program.
Source document (simplified)
Media Advisory: ND State Health Officer joins HHS, Helmsley Charitable Trust and community partners to celebrate lives saved through AED equipment grants
Monday, February 9, 2026 - 11:30am
Categories: Public Health North Dakota public health officials, the Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust and community partners are celebrating the lives saved during a multi-year Automated External Defibrillator (AED) equipment grant program that provided modern AEDs to law enforcement agencies across the state.
On Feb. 11, North Dakota State Health Officer Sherry Adams will be joined by officials from North Dakota Health and Human Services (HHS), The Helmsley Charitable Trust, first responders and community members in Bismarck and virtually.
WHAT:
Grant outcome celebration and first public viewing of video featuring a survivor’s story and highlighting the lifesaving impact that access to modern AED equipment can have on individuals and communities in N.D.
Law enforcement first responder from McHenry County and a survivor from Velva, N.D. who appear with others in the video will be acknowledged.
WHO:
North Dakota State Health Officer Sherry Adams
Tim Wiedrich, HHS Health Response and Licensing Section director
Walter Panzirer, Trustee of The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust
Deputy Adam McTaggart, McHenry County Sheriff’s Office
WHEN:
Wednesday, Feb. 11, 10 a.m., Central Time
WHERE:
(In-person) HHS Health Response and Licensure Section offices, 1720 Burlington Drive, Suite A, Room 104, Bismarck, N.D.
(Virtual) Watch party is planned at the Finish Line Burgers and Brew in Velva, N.D.
WHY:
When cardiac emergencies occur outside the hospital, every second matters and health professionals may be miles away. Law enforcement officers are often the first on scene, and equipping them with lifesaving modern AEDs supports an HHS goal to improve emergency medical care and save lives in rural areas.
Through the multi-year grant from The Helmsley Charitable Trust, over 1,700 AEDs were distributed to law enforcement agencies across N.D. The AEDs were used about 1,000 times and an estimated 90 lives were saved.
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