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Murray County Ambulance Director Jenni Kirchner, Murray County Sheriff Heath Landsman and Murray County Emergency Management Director Carl Nyquist.
Murray County Sheriff’s Office, Ambulance, and Emergency Management are proud to announce they have been selected to receive a LUCAS automated CPR device, thanks to a generous donation from the Center for Resuscitation Medicine at the University of Minnesota Medical School, as part of a new pilot project funded by the Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust.
Murray County is one of only 50 agencies across Minnesota chosen to participate in this initiative, which aims to equip law enforcement and first responders with life-saving technology designed to improve cardiac arrest outcomes and support rural emergency response teams.
The LUCAS device (Lund University Cardiopulmonary Assist System) delivers continuous, high-quality chest compressions, helping maintain vital blood flow during cardiac arrest. Manual CPR, especially during long transport times or in difficult field conditions, can be physically exhausting and inconsistent. The LUCAS device eliminates these challenges, allowing first responders to focus on other critical interventions while ensuring effective compressions are maintained.
“In emergency situations, every second counts, and the LUCAS device allows first responders to focus on other critical interventions while ensuring that effective chest compressions are continuously administered,” said Dr. Demetris Yannopoulos, Director of the Center for Resuscitation Medicine and Professor at the University of Minnesota Medical School.
Over the next year, the Center for Resuscitation Medicine will study how the devices are used in the field to evaluate their impact on patient outcomes and operational feasibility in law enforcement settings.
This pilot program is part of an $18 million grant from the Helmsley Charitable Trust, a national leader in advancing rural healthcare. The Trust’s Rural Healthcare Program has invested over $500 million in improving emergency medical services across eight Midwestern states, including Minnesota.
About the Helmsley Charitable Trust: The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust aspires to improve lives by supporting exceptional efforts in health and place-based initiatives across the U.S. and globally.
Since 2008, Helmsley has committed nearly $3 billion in grants, with a focus on innovative healthcare solutions, especially in rural areas. Learn more at www.helmsleytrust.org.
