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Contact Information

201 4th Street SE
Rochester, Mn 55904 (Map)

Phone: 507-328-6800

Mon-Fri 8:00 am to 5:00 pm

The Early Defibrillation Program is a coordinated effort involving the Rochester Police Department, Rochester Fire Department, Gold Cross Ambulance and the Mayo Clinic.


Early Defibrillation

Medical Direction

Effective medical direction is crucial to the success of the effort.  A medical doctor must serve in this capacity.  Here in Rochester we are extremely fortunate to be blessed with the resources of the Mayo Clinic and particularly the tireless devotion of Dr. Roger White, Professor of Anesthesiology at Mayo.

Dr. White is the pioneer in police defibrillation and is directly responsible for launching early defibrillation in Rochester.  You can learn more about this in our Early Defibrillation History section.

A physician must perform the following tasks:

  • Oversight of the use of the AEDs.  They are prescriptive medical devices and must be used under the direction of a physician.
  • Patient treatment protocols need to be developed, reviewed and updated
  • Training protocols need to be developed, reviewed and updated
  • Maintain a professional liaison with the local hospital(s)

The medical director should also:

  • Participate in quality assurance reviews with rescuers on a case-by-case basis
  • Provide feedback to the department’s early defibrillation manager concerning overall effectiveness for continuous improvement purposes

A description of the responsibilities and authority granted to our medical director are delineated in our Standard Operating Procedures / Police Manual.

Finding a Medical Director

If you are interested in launching an early defibrillation initiative and you don’t know how to connect with a doctor to serve as a medical director, we suggest that you try any of the following:  

  • Contact your local hospital.  Ask for a cardiologist or anesthesiologist.  Anesthesiologists are great – they are considered the in-hospital experts in resuscitation.  These specialties are not required.  A general practitioner can serve in this capacity.  What is important is to find a medical professional who is enthused about serving in this capacity.  The hospital administration may also be helpful in helping you connect with a physician.
  • Contact the health department for your county or state.
  • Contact the American Heart Association.  To find the local AHA contact visit www.americanheart.org or call them at 1-800-AHA-USA-1 or 1-800-242-8721