NEWS RELEASE
Morrison County Sheriff’s Office
June 25, 2025
The Center for Resuscitation Medicine at the University of Minnesota Medical School recently donated an automated CPR device — known as LUCAS — to the Morrison County Sheriff’s Office as part of a new pilot project aimed at equipping law enforcement agencies across Minnesota with life-saving technology.
Manual compressions during extended wait times can be both physically exhausting and variable in effectiveness. The LUCAS device ensures continuous compressions to patients experiencing cardiac arrest to improve outcomes and reduce fatigue for first responders.
“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 Demetris Yannopoulos, MD, director of the Center for Resuscitation Medicine. “As we continue to prioritize the health and safety of our communities, the integration of such innovative technologies will undoubtedly play a vital role in saving lives and enhancing the overall effectiveness of emergency medical services in Minnesota.”
Morrison County Sheriff’s Office is one of 50 agencies throughout Minnesota selected to receive a device.
Over the next year, the Center for Resuscitation Medicine will be examining how agencies use the devices to determine feasibility and the overall benefit to patient outcomes. The initiative is funded as part of an $18 million grant from The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust to provide life-saving devices statewide to law enforcement agencies and first responders.