Local medical and first responder agencies came together Tuesday to roll out a fundraising campaign aimed at raising $65,000 for new defibrillators across Freeborn County.

Part of Naeve Health Care Foundation’s larger campaign to obtain cutting-edge cardiac equipment, the fundraiser for the new defibrillators seeks to get enough money for 30 to 35 defibrillators.

The defibrillators are used to control heart fibrillations in case of a cardiac arrest and can be purchased for about $2,600 apiece.

Albert Lea Police Chief Dwaine Winkels said the devices currently used by law enforcement, firefighters and other first responders are five to eight years old and are in need of technology upgrades.

Brad Niebuhr, Albert Lea Medical Center’s Emergency Department director, said the goal of the campaign is to raise enough money to put one defibrillator in every squad car and community site.

By combining efforts under one umbrella, the goal is to be able to have a more cost-effective rate.

Winkels called the collaboration with all of the other agencies, including the Naeve Health Care Foundation, a great fit, which he hopes will brings positive results. He noted it would have been much more difficult to try to raise the money with just one organization.

Winkels said Albert Lea’s involvement with defibrillators really took off in the 1990s after a local resident who had been saved by a defibrillator approached officials and said he would buy some of the devices for the community. This person helped raise enough money to get 5 or 6 of the units in the squad cars.

In 2003, the units were getting old and new technology was coming out, so the city asked Freeborn County to participate. Albert Lea Medical Center has also been a key partner.

The entities received several large grants and were able to by 16 units, he said. Those have since been reprogrammed to accommodate changes in technology.

Winkels said in his first 15 years in law enforcement without defibrillators he only recalled one or two instances where a person’s life was able to be saved by CPR.

Now, he can think of at least a couple dozen people who had cardiac arrests who have survived thanks to the defibrillators.

Earlier this year, Naeve Health Care Foundation adopted a program called “The Beat Goes On,” to raise money for cutting-edge cardiac care equipment to promote heart health.

The campaign will not only benefit the defibrillator program, but also cardiac monitors for Albert Lea Medical Center’s ambulances, an enhanced external counter pulsation treatment system and a vascular chair for ALMC’s Cardiology Department and a new computer system for ALMC’s Cardiac Rehab Department.

The total campaign goal is $327,000.

To donate to the campaign, people can contact ALMC’s Development Office at 507-377-6380 or go to www.naevehealthcarefoundation.org.

Ted Myers, president of the Naeve Health Care Foundation, said a gala will also be held Sept. 24 at Wedgewood Cove Golf Club to raise money for the projects.

Myers said the foundation hopes to raise most of the money prior to the gala, but people can donate after as well. The campaign is a year long.

Represented Tuesday at a news conference announcing the campaign were representatives from Albert Lea Medical Center, Albert Lea Fire Department, Albert Lea Police Department, Naeve Health Care Foundation, Freeborn County Sheriff’s Office and the Freeborn County Fire Association.