The Parsons Police Department has enhanced its life-saving capabilities with the acquisition of six automated external defibrillator units, thanks to a collaborative effort with Labette Community College nursing and respiratory programs.
The AEDs, valued at $1,725 each, were officially handed over on Monday in the Zetmeir Health Science Building.
The initiative is made possible through the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Rural Public Health Workforce Training Network Program, administered by the University of Kansas Medical Center (KUMC) Schools of Nursing and Respiratory Therapy. The grant supports the development of an interprofessional long-COVID Academic Network, with a primary focus on increasing rural workforce capacity for pulmonary rehabilitation through sustainable wellness programs.
Notable individuals involved in the collaboration include nurse faculty members Carly Beachner, Kim Beachner, Haley Beeman, Kathi Bennett, Julie Page, Aaron Smith and Cheryl Smith, along with Nursing Program Director Delyna (Dee) Bohnenblust, respiratory faculty Jennifer Harding, Respiratory Clinical Coordinator Tiffany Kotzman and Respiratory Program Director Susan Stolte.
Bohnenblust expressed her excitement about the collaboration, commenting in a prepared statement, “The nursing program at LCC is thrilled to partner with the Parsons Police to deploy AEDs into police officer automobiles as well as their facility, serving the community and promoting cardio and pulmonary health. With the Interprofessional COVID-19 Academic Network (I-CAN) grant focusing on improving access to Pulmonary Rehab in Rural Communities, the nursing faculty aims to enhance community wellness, particularly in Labette County.”
Stolte highlighted the importance of providing police officers with life-saving equipment, saying, “We believe it is important for our police officers, who are often first responders, to have the equipment available to save a life. AEDs increase the survival of someone experiencing cardiac arrest, and I am proud we have an opportunity to give back to the Parsons community.”
According to Ross Harper, dean of Workforce Career Education and Training (CTE) said, “The work that the nursing director and respiratory care director put in to receive the grant and be able to purchase these AEDs shows how great our LCC directors are for our programs. The money that was received could have gone to help their own program, but instead they chose to use this money to help the community by providing these AEDs to the police department. LCC has a great relationship with our local community, and I hope that we can continue to give back to our community by providing equipment and training for our local police and first responders.”
Parsons Police Chief Robert Spinks was pleased with the collaboration and noted that the safety and well-being of the community members are top priorities.
“This partnership with LCC is a significant step toward enhancing our emergency response capabilities. The addition of AEDs to our police vehicles and buildings not only ensures the safety of our officers but also reinforces our commitment to the prompt and effective assistance of those in need. We are grateful for the support from LCC and look forward to furthering our collaborative efforts for the betterment of Parsons and its residents,” Spinks said in a prepared statement.
Two of the units will reside in the police department, one in the lockup. The other four will be assigned to patrol cars.
Dr. Ben Legler of Labette Health serves with Bohnenblust as volunteer medical directors for the Parsons Police Department. They will oversee the AED program as well as first aid/CPR and the future emergency medical responder (EMR) training at the police department.
