July 19th: Navajo Nation 'Horse Day' - SMSC Donated Defibrillators Save Lives
'Horse Day' - To Honor Spirit Of The Horse
By Kathy Helms
Dine Bureau
Gallup Independent
WINDOW ROCK – July 19, the first day of the Navajo Nation Council summer session, could become a day set aside to honor a living link to the history of the Navajo Nation – the horse.
Delegate Young Jeff Tom recently received approval from the Resources Committee for a resolution which would proclaim the first day of summer session as “Dine Shi Lii Baa Hashniih Day,” or Navajo Nation Horse Day. The resolution would need Council approval, which could happen if there is a special session between now and July.
Each year, a number of Council delegates mount up and ride across the Navajo Nation, usually in grueling summer heat, to take part in the summer session. In doing so, they stop at various chapters along the way, listen to the concerns of the people, and carry those concerns with them to Window Rock, where, ideally, they are dealt with.
The annual ride, started by Tonalea Delegate Leslie Dele, has become a tradition, honoring Navajo Nation leaders past and present. The ride especially is in recognition of those leaders who rode horses to Council sessions from the 1920s through the 1950s, in all types of weather.
“I thought about this very, very hard because one of the things is when you are driving, you see a lot of horses on the road – open range – and out on the ranch, too, you see a lot of horses that are not branded. Maybe with this one it will remind the people, us, that we have horses and how we need to take care of them,” Tom said.
According to the resolution, without horses the economy, history and character of the Navajo Nation would be profoundly different. A Navajo Nation Horse Day would encourage the elders to teach the younger generation about the horse stories and horse songs in traditional Navajo culture.
Boyd Brodie of Pinedale asked Tom to sponsor the legislation. In an exhibit attached to the resolution, Brodie related a personal story and the reason he for his request to honor the horse.
About 18 years ago, Brodie said, he quit drinking. A week later, right out of the blue, he was given a white horse with a saddle, bridle, and horse-riding equipment. He turned his spare time to “Starting Colts” for anyone needing help with their horses and began what is now known as Triple “B” Ranch, Colt Starting and Horsemanship, which is still in operation.
“If it weren't for the horses, I would have never met legendary horsemen (and) women like Tom Dorrance, Ray Hunt, Dennis and Debra Reis, Pat and Linda Parelli, Chris and Barbara Cox and many, many more who helped me along the way to improve my understanding of horses,” he said.
His ambition to work with horses took him from California to Kentucky, and Texas to Montana, where he participated in equine clinics, attended lectures and seminars, and competed in the Extreme Mustang Challenge.
On one of those trips he began talking with the Reises and listened to a discussion about their vision to recognize and honor the horse for its contribution to mankind. From that, Brodie developed a desire to establish a Navajo Nation Day of the Horse.
“Mr. Reis was telling me that all this natural horsemanship stuff came about when the new settlers were moving westward,” he said. They had seen Indians riding their horses bareback, without bridles or saddles. Spanish explorers also wrote in their journals about the outstanding display of horsemanship they came across when they saw the Indians ride horses.
“The horse is an animal which creates a common bond among all people of this world. They are written about in the Bible. They are even in our Creation stories. They are sung about in our ceremony songs,” Brodie said, adding that he envisions the annual Council ride as a time to link culture and history.
“What an opportunity to teach our young Dine about the Navajo cultures they are losing because they are not taught to them. Our young Dine can learn how the Creator created us and the animals to live where we live today. The Grazing/Land Board members can invite elder members of the community to tell horse stories at the local chapter houses,” he said, while promoting livestock wellness.
“Our young Dine can gain information on how the Navajo Nation seal was developed using symbols from the horse hoof pattern,” he said.
He encouraged the Nation's leaders and its people to be mindful of the contributions of the horse.
“It seems like the only time we hear something about the horse is when it gets hit on the highway or when its trespassing,” he said.
SMSC Donates 58 More Defibrillators - Programs Works To Save 48 Lives
by Tessa Lehto
Communications Specialist
tessa.lehto@shakopeedakota.org
Prior Lake, MN – Each year 250,000 Americans die from sudden cardiac arrest before they reach a hospital. Bystanders or emergency personnel can save many of these lives using CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) and an Automatic External Defibrillator (AED).
At least eight lives have already been saved by law enforcement officers or emergency medical personnel using defibrillators donated by the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community’s Mdewakanton LIFE Program. Another 40 lives have been saved by Mdewakanton Emergency Services and trained SMSC First Responders using AEDs on the reservation over the past eight years.
“Providing defibrillation on-site with an AED increases survival rates for ventricular fibrillation (VF) cardiac arrest. In places where AED programs provide immediate CPR and deliver the first shock within three minutes after collapse, reported survival rates from VF cardiac arrest are as high as 74%. Currently only about 5% of all sudden cardiac arrest victims survive in places where no AED programs have been established to provide prompt CPR and defibrillation,” according to the American Heart Association AED Implementation Guide.
“Saves” are defined as successfully treating ventricular fibrillation with CPR and an AED to bring back a heart rhythm for a patient who is then delivered to a hospital.
The SMSC has given away 640 AEDs since the program began in 2004 and facilitated the low cost purchase of an additional 20 units. The SMSC announces the recent approval of the donation of 58 more AEDs to Minnesota organizations and departments.
The Mdewakanton Emergency Services Department administers the Mdewakanton LIFE Program which provides defibrillators to organizations including law enforcement programs, charitable groups, and schools.
SMSC Chairman Stanley R. Crooks commented on the AEDs recently approved for donation, “While we hope that these AEDs won’t ever be needed, if they are, it is our hope that they will be used to save lives. We are happy that law enforcement officers have been able to use AEDs we donated successfully.”
Dramatic “Saves”According to Lieutenant Eric Roeske, the Minnesota State Patrol has had four AED saves which are attributable to the Mdewakanton LIFE Program. As part of a program to equip all State Patrol cars with the devices, the SMSC donated funding for 200 AEDs to the state. In Scott County, there have been four additional saves using AEDs donated by the SMSC. Over the years, the SMSC has donated 28 AEDs to the Scott County Sheriff’s Department. Using the AEDs kept in their patrol cars, in each of these incidents, the officers applied a shock with the AED which was successful in resuscitating the patient.
Mdewakanton Emergency Services and First Responders at the SMSC Gaming Enterprise have also used an AED to successfully resuscitate at least 40 patients on the reservation over the past eight years, the most recent in March 2010 at Little Six Casino, according to SMSC Director of Emergency Services Jim Muelken. AEDs are located in 27 locations around the reservation and its enterprises. All Gaming Enterprise Security officers receive First Responder training before they begin their first shift.
“We are fortunate that we have trained First Responders in many locations who know how to handle emergency situations. That plus a quick response time here on the reservation has saved lives,” said Muelken.
“We saw the program working on the reservation and wanted to extend it to help others,” said Chairman Crooks. Twin Cities Metropolitan Area: 45 AEDs DonatedSeven AEDs were approved for the Chaska Police Department. The Department provides services for a population of more than 22,400 covering 14.3 square miles. During daytime hours, Chaska has a population of about 50,000. The Department responds to over 1,000 medical calls each year with an average of 10-30 cardiac arrests a year. With response times of two to three minutes, the Chaska Police Department has saved several patients from cardiac arrest situations over the past five years.
Four AEDs were approved for the Shakopee Fire Department. The units will be added to their fire engines so that all responding units will have at least one AED aboard. The department provides services for the 33,000 residents of Shakopee as well as Jackson and Louisville Townships. A portion of the SMSC reservation lies in Shakopee.
Four AEDs were approved for the Mala Strana Health Care Campus in New Prague. The AEDs will be located in each of the four units: one each for secured memory care, the east side, the west side, and the assisted living apartments. The units are served by a staff of 170 employees of whom 52% are 40 or older and 30% are 50 or older. At any given time, the campus can be home to as many as 124 people from the New Prague and surrounding communities. Of the skilled nursing home residents, all are age 74 or older with 91% who are aged 80 or older. The average age of tenants residing in assisted living is approximately 87. All persons residing on the campus are at high risk for ventricular fibrillation.
Four AEDs were approved for the Meeker County Sheriff’s Office to deploy in their front line patrol vehicles for response to suspected cardiac arrests. They have first responder responsibility for all medical calls within the county, covering 625 square miles and a population of 30,000.
Three AEDs were approved for the New Prague School System (ISD #721) for deployment in gymnasiums in the district. ISD #721 includes 3, 684 students from New Prague, Lonsdale, Veseli, Elko-New Market, and Webster.
Two AEDs EachCottage Grove Emergency Medical Services received two AEDs for use in non-paramedic police and fire chief squad cars. The department consists of full and part time employees with a total of about 90 members, the majority of whom come from the police department. They provide services to a population of 45,000 in Cottage Grove, St. Paul Park, Newport, and Grey Cloud Township.
Eagle Lake Fire and Rescue received two AEDs to use on their rescue truck and on their pumper truck. They are a 25 member team of firefighters, first responders, and EMTs who respond to 100 medicals a year and 20 fires. They estimate usage of the AED at about five times per year and have saved lives using an AED in the past. They serve a population of about 5,000 in two townships and the city of Eagle Lake in Blue Earth County which includes the busy U.S. Highway 14 through the area which has many traffic accidents.
Ellsworth Fire and Rescue received two AEDs for their all volunteer department which serves about 1,200 people. One AED was deployed to Ellsworth Public School for use during school activities and athletic functions. The other was deployed to a church attended by several of the first responders. In both instances having the AEDs on site will allow a quicker response time to a cardiac emergency since Ellsworth lies in a remote area.
Support Fire Services of Burnsville received two AEDs for use while providing wildland fire and EMS response to tribal, city, state, and federal agencies on an “as needed” basis. The AEDs are being used to equip their two wildland fire engines which are used most often in remote areas during disaster situations such as Hurricane Katrina and forest fires in the west.
Waconia Fire Department was approved for two AEDs for use in Carver County which covers 37 square miles with a population of more than 10,000. They respond to about 300 calls per year with about 55% of them medically related. In their service area are two nursing homes, a supervised living care facility, a three story senior citizen complex and a four story senior citizen apartment complex.
One AED EachBigelow Fire Department received an AED for first response use for their 70 square mile territory which is mainly farming and industrial. They serve a population of about 2,500.
The C.A.R.E. Clinic in Red Wing was approved for one AED. It is a free clinic which provides treatment of acute illnesses and follow-up care for chronic diseases as well as preventative health care, prescription assistance, and referrals for needed specialty care. Patients are uninsured Goodhue County residents living at or below 200% of the poverty level, largely migrant and immigrant families. The AED will be used in the event of a cardiac event at the C.A.R.E. Clinic.
Church of St. Mary in Shakopee, Minnesota, was approved for one AED. Over 800 families regularly attend services at the Church with three services on Sundays, one on Saturday, and several others during the week.
Mentor Volunteer Fire and Rescue was approved for one AED. Located 17 miles from the nearest ambulance, the first responder group serves an 84 square mile area with about 800 people. The AED will be kept at the community center which is at a central location so it is readily accessible.
New Prague Fire Department received an AED for their new fire station and education building that hosts public meetings and classes. Their department serves parts of Scott, LeSueur, and Rice Counties.
Sanford Hospice received an AED for staff, family members, and visitors of terminally ill patients at Sunset Cottage in Worthington. Family members who usually stay with patients are often experiencing a very emotional time as it is an end of life experience for their loved one so cardiac arrest is a very real possibility.
Schoolcraft Learning Community in Bemidji, Minnesota, was approved for one AED. It is a public charter school focused on expeditionary learning. Students and teachers organize their learning around focal ideas and become self-directed learners of that subject. The school serves a diverse group of families including American Indian (13%), special needs (20%, and economically challenged (48% free or reduced lunch) families.
Scott County Community Development Agency, Shakopee, Minnesota, received an AED for use in their building. They provide services to Scott County residents with low to moderate incomes. A paramedic from Mdewakanton Emergency Services also conducted an in-service training for their entire staff on how and when to use an AED.
St. Mark’s Catholic Church in Shakopee, Minnesota, received an AED for use in the church. Weekend attendance is 1,500 people with many others using the facility throughout the week for activities.
U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary Flotilla 11-01 (St. Paul), the all-volunteer, civilian component of the US Coast Guard, received one AED. The AED will be used by a tour patrol boat when patrolling the river and otherwise maintained at the radio station on Water Street in St. Paul. Their operational area includes 42 miles of the Mississippi River between North Minneapolis and Hastings and 10 miles of the Minnesota River, from its confluence with the Mississippi to the Interstate 35W Bridge. They serve a population which is primarily recreational boaters who can vary from several hundred to over a thousand people any weekend between May and early October.
The Vermilion Lake Fire Department was approved for one AED which will be mounted in their Number One unit, which is typically the first vehicle on scene for an emergency. The department is the primary responder for fire emergencies in their township as well as about a dozen neighboring townships through mutual aid agreements. They are also the primary responder for fire emergencies for lands and enterprises owned by the Bois Forte Band of Chippewa at the junction of Highway 169 and County Road 77 and are a mutual aid responder for the Vermilion Reservation.
Waterville Fire Department received an AED which they placed at a local facility for developmentally disabled clients. Their coverage area is 45 square miles with a population of about 2,500, expanding to 4,500 during the summer months. They provide services to three senior apartment buildings, one assisted living facility, a nursing home, and three facilities for developmentally disabled clients.
Worthington Fire Department received an AED for use by their 36 members; they did not previously have one. Covering about 60 square miles with a population of about 13,000, the department also operates an ambulance service and has mutual aid agreements with nine other fire departments and two first responder groups.
Tribal:
13 AEDs DonatedFive AEDs were approved for the Grand Portage Band of Chippewa in northeastern Minnesota on the shores of Lake Superior. The AEDs will be mounted in their new daycare/Headstart building; the community building used for Reservation Tribal Council meetings, staff and community education sessions, and other community functions; churches; and the fitness center.
Four AEDs were donated to White Earth Boys & Girls Club for sites in their Naytahwaush, Pine Point, Rice Lake, and White Earth clubs. Each of these sites has a gymnasium. Three of them have an elderly nutrition service which is enjoyed by local elders many of whom also walk in the gym for daily exercise. None of the sites previously had an AED, though the staff are trained in CPR.
Two AEDs were donated to the Leech Lake Child Welfare Department which promotes the preservation of families through family services, foster care, adoption, and guardianship programs employing 40 staff members. One AED is mounted at the Leech Lake Child Welfare office in Cass Lake which serves the 200 square mile reservation and the other at the Twin Cities office on Franklin Avenue which serves over a thousand enrolled tribal members.
Two AEDs were approved for the Mille Lacs Reservation Department of Public Safety Emergency Medical Services in Onamia. The reservation has 56 first responders and six Emergency Medical Technicians who work within the four districts which lie more than 60 miles apart. The AEDs are needed due to increased growth and additional facilities being used for tribal government operations which lack AED coverage.
Background:
A shock from an AED is the best way to prevent permanent damage or death if delivered in the first few minutes after collapse from sudden cardiac arrest. For many years the SMSC has used defibrillators on the reservation. Mdewakanton Emergency Services and Mystic Lake Casino Hotel Security officers receive training in the use of AEDs.
Sudden cardiac arrest is the leading cause of death among adults in the United States. It can also affect children and teenagers. When someone collapses from sudden cardiac arrest, damage to the brain and other vital organs begins in as little as four minutes. Often the heart does not stop completely but goes into ventricular fibrillation, in which the heart quivers rapidly but does not pump blood. This is where an AED can help by restoring a normal heartbeat.
In 2009, the SMSC donated 64 AEDs to local fire and police departments, schools, and other organizations. In previous years the SMSC has donated defibrillators to local schools, tribes, fire departments, nursing homes, the Minnesota State Patrol, and other organizations.
To ApplyPriority is given to American Indian tribes in Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, Iowa, Nebraska, and Wisconsin, first responding agencies, and governmental agencies. Although the SMSC receives many worthy requests, currently, because of the large volume of need, requests from agencies serving less than 50 clients, churches outside of Scott County, and non-profit organizations outside of the five-state area are not eligible for consideration.
Organizations which meet the above criteria and are in need of an AED may send a written request to the Mdewakanton LIFE Program, Mdewakanton Emergency Services, 2330 Sioux Trail NW, Prior Lake, Minnesota 55372. Inquiries may be made to 952-233-1077. A downloadable application form is also available at http://www.mdfire.org/.
About Mdewakanton Emergency Services and the SMSC Mdewakanton Emergency Services, a full-time, professional fire department staffed 24 hours a day, seven days a week, is owned and operated by the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community, a federally recognized Indian Tribe in Minnesota. Each month the department responds to an average of 200 calls and conducts an average of 60 patient transports in its ambulances.
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By Kathy Helms
Dine Bureau
Gallup Independent
WINDOW ROCK – July 19, the first day of the Navajo Nation Council summer session, could become a day set aside to honor a living link to the history of the Navajo Nation – the horse.
Delegate Young Jeff Tom recently received approval from the Resources Committee for a resolution which would proclaim the first day of summer session as “Dine Shi Lii Baa Hashniih Day,” or Navajo Nation Horse Day. The resolution would need Council approval, which could happen if there is a special session between now and July.
Each year, a number of Council delegates mount up and ride across the Navajo Nation, usually in grueling summer heat, to take part in the summer session. In doing so, they stop at various chapters along the way, listen to the concerns of the people, and carry those concerns with them to Window Rock, where, ideally, they are dealt with.
The annual ride, started by Tonalea Delegate Leslie Dele, has become a tradition, honoring Navajo Nation leaders past and present. The ride especially is in recognition of those leaders who rode horses to Council sessions from the 1920s through the 1950s, in all types of weather.
“I thought about this very, very hard because one of the things is when you are driving, you see a lot of horses on the road – open range – and out on the ranch, too, you see a lot of horses that are not branded. Maybe with this one it will remind the people, us, that we have horses and how we need to take care of them,” Tom said.
According to the resolution, without horses the economy, history and character of the Navajo Nation would be profoundly different. A Navajo Nation Horse Day would encourage the elders to teach the younger generation about the horse stories and horse songs in traditional Navajo culture.
Boyd Brodie of Pinedale asked Tom to sponsor the legislation. In an exhibit attached to the resolution, Brodie related a personal story and the reason he for his request to honor the horse.
About 18 years ago, Brodie said, he quit drinking. A week later, right out of the blue, he was given a white horse with a saddle, bridle, and horse-riding equipment. He turned his spare time to “Starting Colts” for anyone needing help with their horses and began what is now known as Triple “B” Ranch, Colt Starting and Horsemanship, which is still in operation.
“If it weren't for the horses, I would have never met legendary horsemen (and) women like Tom Dorrance, Ray Hunt, Dennis and Debra Reis, Pat and Linda Parelli, Chris and Barbara Cox and many, many more who helped me along the way to improve my understanding of horses,” he said.
His ambition to work with horses took him from California to Kentucky, and Texas to Montana, where he participated in equine clinics, attended lectures and seminars, and competed in the Extreme Mustang Challenge.
On one of those trips he began talking with the Reises and listened to a discussion about their vision to recognize and honor the horse for its contribution to mankind. From that, Brodie developed a desire to establish a Navajo Nation Day of the Horse.
“Mr. Reis was telling me that all this natural horsemanship stuff came about when the new settlers were moving westward,” he said. They had seen Indians riding their horses bareback, without bridles or saddles. Spanish explorers also wrote in their journals about the outstanding display of horsemanship they came across when they saw the Indians ride horses.
“The horse is an animal which creates a common bond among all people of this world. They are written about in the Bible. They are even in our Creation stories. They are sung about in our ceremony songs,” Brodie said, adding that he envisions the annual Council ride as a time to link culture and history.
“What an opportunity to teach our young Dine about the Navajo cultures they are losing because they are not taught to them. Our young Dine can learn how the Creator created us and the animals to live where we live today. The Grazing/Land Board members can invite elder members of the community to tell horse stories at the local chapter houses,” he said, while promoting livestock wellness.
“Our young Dine can gain information on how the Navajo Nation seal was developed using symbols from the horse hoof pattern,” he said.
He encouraged the Nation's leaders and its people to be mindful of the contributions of the horse.
“It seems like the only time we hear something about the horse is when it gets hit on the highway or when its trespassing,” he said.
SMSC Donates 58 More Defibrillators - Programs Works To Save 48 Lives
by Tessa Lehto
Communications Specialist
tessa.lehto@shakopeedakota.org
Prior Lake, MN – Each year 250,000 Americans die from sudden cardiac arrest before they reach a hospital. Bystanders or emergency personnel can save many of these lives using CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) and an Automatic External Defibrillator (AED).
At least eight lives have already been saved by law enforcement officers or emergency medical personnel using defibrillators donated by the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community’s Mdewakanton LIFE Program. Another 40 lives have been saved by Mdewakanton Emergency Services and trained SMSC First Responders using AEDs on the reservation over the past eight years.
“Providing defibrillation on-site with an AED increases survival rates for ventricular fibrillation (VF) cardiac arrest. In places where AED programs provide immediate CPR and deliver the first shock within three minutes after collapse, reported survival rates from VF cardiac arrest are as high as 74%. Currently only about 5% of all sudden cardiac arrest victims survive in places where no AED programs have been established to provide prompt CPR and defibrillation,” according to the American Heart Association AED Implementation Guide.
“Saves” are defined as successfully treating ventricular fibrillation with CPR and an AED to bring back a heart rhythm for a patient who is then delivered to a hospital.
The SMSC has given away 640 AEDs since the program began in 2004 and facilitated the low cost purchase of an additional 20 units. The SMSC announces the recent approval of the donation of 58 more AEDs to Minnesota organizations and departments.
The Mdewakanton Emergency Services Department administers the Mdewakanton LIFE Program which provides defibrillators to organizations including law enforcement programs, charitable groups, and schools.
SMSC Chairman Stanley R. Crooks commented on the AEDs recently approved for donation, “While we hope that these AEDs won’t ever be needed, if they are, it is our hope that they will be used to save lives. We are happy that law enforcement officers have been able to use AEDs we donated successfully.”
Dramatic “Saves”According to Lieutenant Eric Roeske, the Minnesota State Patrol has had four AED saves which are attributable to the Mdewakanton LIFE Program. As part of a program to equip all State Patrol cars with the devices, the SMSC donated funding for 200 AEDs to the state. In Scott County, there have been four additional saves using AEDs donated by the SMSC. Over the years, the SMSC has donated 28 AEDs to the Scott County Sheriff’s Department. Using the AEDs kept in their patrol cars, in each of these incidents, the officers applied a shock with the AED which was successful in resuscitating the patient.
Mdewakanton Emergency Services and First Responders at the SMSC Gaming Enterprise have also used an AED to successfully resuscitate at least 40 patients on the reservation over the past eight years, the most recent in March 2010 at Little Six Casino, according to SMSC Director of Emergency Services Jim Muelken. AEDs are located in 27 locations around the reservation and its enterprises. All Gaming Enterprise Security officers receive First Responder training before they begin their first shift.
“We are fortunate that we have trained First Responders in many locations who know how to handle emergency situations. That plus a quick response time here on the reservation has saved lives,” said Muelken.
“We saw the program working on the reservation and wanted to extend it to help others,” said Chairman Crooks. Twin Cities Metropolitan Area: 45 AEDs DonatedSeven AEDs were approved for the Chaska Police Department. The Department provides services for a population of more than 22,400 covering 14.3 square miles. During daytime hours, Chaska has a population of about 50,000. The Department responds to over 1,000 medical calls each year with an average of 10-30 cardiac arrests a year. With response times of two to three minutes, the Chaska Police Department has saved several patients from cardiac arrest situations over the past five years.
Four AEDs were approved for the Shakopee Fire Department. The units will be added to their fire engines so that all responding units will have at least one AED aboard. The department provides services for the 33,000 residents of Shakopee as well as Jackson and Louisville Townships. A portion of the SMSC reservation lies in Shakopee.
Four AEDs were approved for the Mala Strana Health Care Campus in New Prague. The AEDs will be located in each of the four units: one each for secured memory care, the east side, the west side, and the assisted living apartments. The units are served by a staff of 170 employees of whom 52% are 40 or older and 30% are 50 or older. At any given time, the campus can be home to as many as 124 people from the New Prague and surrounding communities. Of the skilled nursing home residents, all are age 74 or older with 91% who are aged 80 or older. The average age of tenants residing in assisted living is approximately 87. All persons residing on the campus are at high risk for ventricular fibrillation.
Four AEDs were approved for the Meeker County Sheriff’s Office to deploy in their front line patrol vehicles for response to suspected cardiac arrests. They have first responder responsibility for all medical calls within the county, covering 625 square miles and a population of 30,000.
Three AEDs were approved for the New Prague School System (ISD #721) for deployment in gymnasiums in the district. ISD #721 includes 3, 684 students from New Prague, Lonsdale, Veseli, Elko-New Market, and Webster.
Two AEDs EachCottage Grove Emergency Medical Services received two AEDs for use in non-paramedic police and fire chief squad cars. The department consists of full and part time employees with a total of about 90 members, the majority of whom come from the police department. They provide services to a population of 45,000 in Cottage Grove, St. Paul Park, Newport, and Grey Cloud Township.
Eagle Lake Fire and Rescue received two AEDs to use on their rescue truck and on their pumper truck. They are a 25 member team of firefighters, first responders, and EMTs who respond to 100 medicals a year and 20 fires. They estimate usage of the AED at about five times per year and have saved lives using an AED in the past. They serve a population of about 5,000 in two townships and the city of Eagle Lake in Blue Earth County which includes the busy U.S. Highway 14 through the area which has many traffic accidents.
Ellsworth Fire and Rescue received two AEDs for their all volunteer department which serves about 1,200 people. One AED was deployed to Ellsworth Public School for use during school activities and athletic functions. The other was deployed to a church attended by several of the first responders. In both instances having the AEDs on site will allow a quicker response time to a cardiac emergency since Ellsworth lies in a remote area.
Support Fire Services of Burnsville received two AEDs for use while providing wildland fire and EMS response to tribal, city, state, and federal agencies on an “as needed” basis. The AEDs are being used to equip their two wildland fire engines which are used most often in remote areas during disaster situations such as Hurricane Katrina and forest fires in the west.
Waconia Fire Department was approved for two AEDs for use in Carver County which covers 37 square miles with a population of more than 10,000. They respond to about 300 calls per year with about 55% of them medically related. In their service area are two nursing homes, a supervised living care facility, a three story senior citizen complex and a four story senior citizen apartment complex.
One AED EachBigelow Fire Department received an AED for first response use for their 70 square mile territory which is mainly farming and industrial. They serve a population of about 2,500.
The C.A.R.E. Clinic in Red Wing was approved for one AED. It is a free clinic which provides treatment of acute illnesses and follow-up care for chronic diseases as well as preventative health care, prescription assistance, and referrals for needed specialty care. Patients are uninsured Goodhue County residents living at or below 200% of the poverty level, largely migrant and immigrant families. The AED will be used in the event of a cardiac event at the C.A.R.E. Clinic.
Church of St. Mary in Shakopee, Minnesota, was approved for one AED. Over 800 families regularly attend services at the Church with three services on Sundays, one on Saturday, and several others during the week.
Mentor Volunteer Fire and Rescue was approved for one AED. Located 17 miles from the nearest ambulance, the first responder group serves an 84 square mile area with about 800 people. The AED will be kept at the community center which is at a central location so it is readily accessible.
New Prague Fire Department received an AED for their new fire station and education building that hosts public meetings and classes. Their department serves parts of Scott, LeSueur, and Rice Counties.
Sanford Hospice received an AED for staff, family members, and visitors of terminally ill patients at Sunset Cottage in Worthington. Family members who usually stay with patients are often experiencing a very emotional time as it is an end of life experience for their loved one so cardiac arrest is a very real possibility.
Schoolcraft Learning Community in Bemidji, Minnesota, was approved for one AED. It is a public charter school focused on expeditionary learning. Students and teachers organize their learning around focal ideas and become self-directed learners of that subject. The school serves a diverse group of families including American Indian (13%), special needs (20%, and economically challenged (48% free or reduced lunch) families.
Scott County Community Development Agency, Shakopee, Minnesota, received an AED for use in their building. They provide services to Scott County residents with low to moderate incomes. A paramedic from Mdewakanton Emergency Services also conducted an in-service training for their entire staff on how and when to use an AED.
St. Mark’s Catholic Church in Shakopee, Minnesota, received an AED for use in the church. Weekend attendance is 1,500 people with many others using the facility throughout the week for activities.
U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary Flotilla 11-01 (St. Paul), the all-volunteer, civilian component of the US Coast Guard, received one AED. The AED will be used by a tour patrol boat when patrolling the river and otherwise maintained at the radio station on Water Street in St. Paul. Their operational area includes 42 miles of the Mississippi River between North Minneapolis and Hastings and 10 miles of the Minnesota River, from its confluence with the Mississippi to the Interstate 35W Bridge. They serve a population which is primarily recreational boaters who can vary from several hundred to over a thousand people any weekend between May and early October.
The Vermilion Lake Fire Department was approved for one AED which will be mounted in their Number One unit, which is typically the first vehicle on scene for an emergency. The department is the primary responder for fire emergencies in their township as well as about a dozen neighboring townships through mutual aid agreements. They are also the primary responder for fire emergencies for lands and enterprises owned by the Bois Forte Band of Chippewa at the junction of Highway 169 and County Road 77 and are a mutual aid responder for the Vermilion Reservation.
Waterville Fire Department received an AED which they placed at a local facility for developmentally disabled clients. Their coverage area is 45 square miles with a population of about 2,500, expanding to 4,500 during the summer months. They provide services to three senior apartment buildings, one assisted living facility, a nursing home, and three facilities for developmentally disabled clients.
Worthington Fire Department received an AED for use by their 36 members; they did not previously have one. Covering about 60 square miles with a population of about 13,000, the department also operates an ambulance service and has mutual aid agreements with nine other fire departments and two first responder groups.
Tribal:
13 AEDs DonatedFive AEDs were approved for the Grand Portage Band of Chippewa in northeastern Minnesota on the shores of Lake Superior. The AEDs will be mounted in their new daycare/Headstart building; the community building used for Reservation Tribal Council meetings, staff and community education sessions, and other community functions; churches; and the fitness center.
Four AEDs were donated to White Earth Boys & Girls Club for sites in their Naytahwaush, Pine Point, Rice Lake, and White Earth clubs. Each of these sites has a gymnasium. Three of them have an elderly nutrition service which is enjoyed by local elders many of whom also walk in the gym for daily exercise. None of the sites previously had an AED, though the staff are trained in CPR.
Two AEDs were donated to the Leech Lake Child Welfare Department which promotes the preservation of families through family services, foster care, adoption, and guardianship programs employing 40 staff members. One AED is mounted at the Leech Lake Child Welfare office in Cass Lake which serves the 200 square mile reservation and the other at the Twin Cities office on Franklin Avenue which serves over a thousand enrolled tribal members.
Two AEDs were approved for the Mille Lacs Reservation Department of Public Safety Emergency Medical Services in Onamia. The reservation has 56 first responders and six Emergency Medical Technicians who work within the four districts which lie more than 60 miles apart. The AEDs are needed due to increased growth and additional facilities being used for tribal government operations which lack AED coverage.
Background:
A shock from an AED is the best way to prevent permanent damage or death if delivered in the first few minutes after collapse from sudden cardiac arrest. For many years the SMSC has used defibrillators on the reservation. Mdewakanton Emergency Services and Mystic Lake Casino Hotel Security officers receive training in the use of AEDs.
Sudden cardiac arrest is the leading cause of death among adults in the United States. It can also affect children and teenagers. When someone collapses from sudden cardiac arrest, damage to the brain and other vital organs begins in as little as four minutes. Often the heart does not stop completely but goes into ventricular fibrillation, in which the heart quivers rapidly but does not pump blood. This is where an AED can help by restoring a normal heartbeat.
In 2009, the SMSC donated 64 AEDs to local fire and police departments, schools, and other organizations. In previous years the SMSC has donated defibrillators to local schools, tribes, fire departments, nursing homes, the Minnesota State Patrol, and other organizations.
To ApplyPriority is given to American Indian tribes in Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, Iowa, Nebraska, and Wisconsin, first responding agencies, and governmental agencies. Although the SMSC receives many worthy requests, currently, because of the large volume of need, requests from agencies serving less than 50 clients, churches outside of Scott County, and non-profit organizations outside of the five-state area are not eligible for consideration.
Organizations which meet the above criteria and are in need of an AED may send a written request to the Mdewakanton LIFE Program, Mdewakanton Emergency Services, 2330 Sioux Trail NW, Prior Lake, Minnesota 55372. Inquiries may be made to 952-233-1077. A downloadable application form is also available at http://www.mdfire.org/.
About Mdewakanton Emergency Services and the SMSC Mdewakanton Emergency Services, a full-time, professional fire department staffed 24 hours a day, seven days a week, is owned and operated by the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community, a federally recognized Indian Tribe in Minnesota. Each month the department responds to an average of 200 calls and conducts an average of 60 patient transports in its ambulances.
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