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The Chisago County Sheriff's Office has received a $10,000 surprise — a surprise that may save lives in the county.

 on Saturday, an anonymous donor gave the sheriff's office $10,000 to finish equipping all of its squad cars with automated external defibrillators, or AEDs. 

An AED is a portable device that checks heart rhythm, and can send an electric shock to the heart to try to restore a normal rhythm. They can cost as much as $2,000 each.

The sheriff's office in the county north of the Twin Cities said the donor had read a news article that reported a Chisago County deputy had used an AED to save a life. In the article, sheriff's Capt. Keith Hoppe had said he "wished all our squads had them." 

, the Chisago County Sheriff's Office has saved several lives using AEDs in the past five years, but the department only had 17 AEDs for its 24 patrol cars. The donation closes that gap.

On Facebook this weekend, the Chisago County Sheriff's Office wrote, "Our Sheriff's Office is extremely grateful for this donation and the selflessness displayed by the donor to give back to the community!"

Health

Nina Moini

Author

An anonymous donor gave the Chisago County Sheriff's Office $10,000 to finish equipping all of its squad cars with automated external defibrillators, or AEDs.

Minnesota sheriff's office receives life-saving surprise

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