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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

Defibrillation Policies

7-213 Early Defibrillation

 

7-213.01 Program Description

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

7-213.02 Police Department Medical Director & Program Director

The Rochester Police Department Early Defibrillation Program will operate under the authority of the Police Department Medical Director. The Police Department Medical Director shall be the co-director of Gold Cross Ambulance Rochester.  

The Police Department Medical Director shall have the authority to:

  •  Issue standing orders concerning the use of defibrillators, e.g. patient treatment protocols, etc. 
  • Develop, conduct, regulate and/or modify the training requirements for officers as these requirements relate to the use of defibrillators, CPR or related first aid or other patient-care issues. 
  • Direct the Police Department Staff Development Unit to maintain records to assure that all officers are trained as required 
  • Direct officers assisting at the scene of medical calls as those officers’ actions relate to patient care procedures. The medical director does not have general supervisory authority over officers who have been assigned non-medical functions at those scenes, e.g. traffic direction, scene preservation, crowd control, etc. 
  • Gather response time and other statistical data from the Police Department to support early defibrillation research. 
  • Conduct follow-up interviews with officers concerning any medical incident for purposes of clarifying the circumstances of the medical call. 
  • Advise Police Administration concerning development, implementation or modification of policies relating to the Early Defibrillation Program or emergency medical response. 
  • Serve as a representative of the Police Department in public presentations, publications or news releases relating to the general functions of the Early Defibrillation Program.

The Chief shall designate by Special Order a person to serve as the Early Defibrillation Program Director.  The Program Director shall have all necessary authority within the Police Department to accomplish the ends of the Early Defibrillation Program and may only be overruled by the Chief of Police in regards to issues related to the Early Defibrillation Program.  The Early Defibrillation Program Director shall work collaboratively with the Police Department Medical Director.

7-213.03 Equipment Inspection

Officers shall inspect the defibrillators at the start of their shift.  Officers will check the defibrillators to assure that:  

  • A defibrillator is present in the marked squad car.
  • The defibrillator case seal is intact.
If the defibrillator is not present or if the seal has been broken, the officer will notify his/her supervisor .The supervisor will determine if the squad is to be put into service without a defibrillator or if the officer will be assigned to another car. The supervisor will report the problem to the Department Support Unit.   Officers will notify Communications of their defibrillator status only when a defibrillator is not in their marked squad car.   All defibrillators will be inspected monthly by the Department Support Unit.  This monthly inspection process shall verify that:  
  • The self diagnostic test indicates that the device is ready to use.
  • The case contains a spare battery, two sets of pads, a spare data card and a metronome.
  • The metronome battery is good.
  • The pads are not damaged, deformed or expired.
  • The equipment is in generally good condition.
  • The inspection is documented on the inspection card kept within each defibrillator kit
The Department Support Unit will see that the batteries within the time synchronizers are recharged at least once every nine months.   The Department Support Unit will prepare a separate monthly inspection report detailing the results of all AED inspections.  This report will be forwarded to the Early Defibrillation Program Director.   The Staff Development Unit will report any other problems to the Early Defibrillation Program Director.

7-213.04 Defibrillator Deployment

All marked squads and CSO vehicles have defibrillators assigned to them.  Marked squads will not be placed into service without a defibrillator without supervisory approval.  A supervisor authorizing this will notify the Communications Unit immediately.

7-213.05 Defibrillation Training Requirements

Officers and sergeants in the Patrol Division will be trained in defibrillation and CPR.  CPR and defibrillation training is optional for department personnel outside of the Patrol Division.  Each new officer hired will receive an initial block of AED/CPR training as required by the Police Department Medical Director.  All Patrol Division officers and sergeants will participate in follow-up AED training at least once every six months in the manner required by the Medical Director.   

Officers and sergeants being transferred to Patrol from other divisions will be given refresher training in CPR and defibrillation as needed to bring them up to these requirements.

7-213.06 Use Of The Defibrillators

Officers will use the defibrillators in accordance with their training and the standing orders of the Police Department Medical Director.

Officers using any supplies from the defibrillator kits will contact the Department Support Unit to arrange for the supplies to be replenished and the cases to be resealed for future use.  This can be accomplished by completing the Cardiac Arrest Information tab of the RPD Alarm/Search/DDR/Cardiac Arrest Reporting application on the squad car mobile computers.

7-213.07 Defibrillators To Be Kept In Passenger Compartment

Defibrillators shall be kept within the passenger compartment of the squad car.  Defibrillators will not be left in the back seat of the squad with prisoners or other passengers.

7-213.08 Data Collection & Reports

Any officer who uses a defibrillator on a patient will complete an incident report identifying the complainant, witnesses, and bystanders who assisted in the rescue effort and detailing the general circumstances of the incident.  This officer will also complete the electronic Cardiac Arrest Information Report.  This report is available on the Cardiac Arrest Information tab of the RPD Alarm/Search/DDR/Cardiac Arrest Reporting application on the squad car mobile computers.    

The electronic Cardiac Arrest Information Report will automatically generate an email to:

  • Staff Support Sergeant – to facilitate inspection of the defibrillator
  • Patrol Captain – to monitor Patrol Division responses
  • Public Safety Communications Center Manager – to initiate collection of response data
  • Early Defibrillation Program Director – for general oversight
  • Police Department Medical Director – to serve as notice of the event
  • Police Department Planning & Development Unit – for technical support of the notification application
  • The generic email for Patrol Division supervisors – to help keep shift supervisors informed

Officers activating a defibrillator attached to a patient will also give the data card from the defibrillator to the Rochester Gold Cross paramedics who transport the patient.  Officers will see that the data card is replaced as soon as possible.