Donations equip police cars with defibrillators
BY CLARE MARIE CELANO
Staff Writer

FREEHOLD — Helping to save a life could be as simple as having a cardiac defibrillator nearby — at least that’s what borough police are banking on.

The Freehold Borough Police Department now has a total of seven Automated External Defibrillators (AED), which means that each officer on duty at any time of the day or night will have a patrol car equipped with one of the devices. The AED is used to shock a person’s heart back into a beat following a heart attack.

The AED is about the size of a laptop computer.

In addition to the two defibrillators the department owned, five more were presented to Police Chief Michael Beierschmitt at a Borough Council meeting on Feb. 7. The chief expressed his thanks to members of the Freehold Elks and to members of Families Helping Families, who presented the police with the life-saving equipment.

Beierschmitt said the police are grateful to have the equipment and noted that all police officers are trained in cardiopulmonary resuscitation, (CPR) and in the operation of the AED.

Representing the Elks, Chris Reycraft said the organization held a fund-raiser for the AED “in support of the police department and to have patrol cars carry equipment that could possibly save someone’s life.”

Also representing the Elks were Rich Hamilton, Phil DeAngelis and Rob Trilby.

Reycraft said he contacted Jim Schatzle at Team Life Inc., Colts Neck, and purchased the two units for the borough police department.

Three of the four women who make up the charity group Families Helping Families — Mary Ann Bolognese, Isabella Basile and Janet DeVito — also came to present two AED units to Beierschmitt. The group gave two defibrillators, one from Ray of Life, in honor of the late Ray Kirchmer of Freehold Township, and one donated by Rachel Moyer, a Pennsylvania woman who lost her son, Gregory, 18, when he went into cardiac arrest after playing in a high school basketball game. There was no AED available to help the young man.

Moyer eventually started a defibrillator fund in her son’s name to ensure that schools and other buildings where many people gather would have access to a defibrillator.

Families Helping Families also presented the police department with an AED that had been donated by Silvert’s Furniture, South Street.

“When we hear about bad things that happen to people, we like to help,” Bolognese said.

Bolognese thanked the borough police department and Beierschmitt for helping to make a recent fund-raiser a success. The Ray of Life event resulted in the units being provided to the Freehold Borough and Freehold Township police departments.

“The chief’s commitment and attention to this project was passed down to his officers, making it an absolute pleasure to help the borough police with their community,” Bolognese said.

Police Capt. Michael DiAiso said all borough officers are trained in the operation of the AED and are recertified in CPR every two years. He said the latest AED can be used on children and adults. Earlier models could not be used on children.

“These defibrillators are invaluable to us. Our officers are no longer limited to CPR to resuscitate people,” the captain said. “If CPR does not work, now we can use the defibrillators to help save lives. We appreciate the generosity of everyone who has donated this equipment, as it will allow us to protect the lives of the people of Freehold to a much greater degree.”