ND State Health Officer joins HHS, Helmsley Charitable Trust and community partners to celebrate lives saved through AED equipment grants

BISMARCK, ND (FEBRUARY 9, 2026) - North Dakota public health officials, the Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust and community partners are celebrating the lives saved during a multi-year Automated External Defibrillator (AED) equipment grant program that provided modern AEDs to law enforcement agencies across the state.

On Feb. 11, North Dakota State Health Officer Sherry Adams will be joined by officials from North Dakota Health and Human Services (HHS), The Helmsley Charitable Trust, first responders and community members in Bismarck and virtually.

WHAT:

Grant outcome celebration and first public viewing of video featuring a survivor’s story and highlighting the lifesaving impact that access to modern AED equipment can have on individuals and communities in N.D.
Law enforcement first responder from McHenry County and a survivor from Velva, N.D. who appear with others in the video will be acknowledged.

WHO:

North Dakota State Health Officer Sherry Adams
Tim Wiedrich, HHS Health Response and Licensing Section director
Walter Panzirer, Trustee of The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust
Deputy Adam McTaggart, McHenry County Sheriff’s Office

WHEN: Wednesday, Feb. 11, 10 a.m., Central Time

WHERE: (In-person) HHS Health Response and Licensure Section offices, 1720 Burlington Drive, Suite A, Room 104, Bismarck, N.D.

(Virtual) Watch party is planned at the Finish Line Burgers and Brew in Velva, N.D.

WHY:

When cardiac emergencies occur outside the hospital, every second matters and health professionals may be miles away. Law enforcement officers are often the first on scene, and equipping them with lifesaving modern AEDs supports an HHS goal to improve emergency medical care and save lives in rural areas.

Through the multi-year grant from The Helmsley Charitable Trust, over 1,700 AEDs were distributed to law enforcement agencies across N.D. The AEDs were used about 1,000 times and an estimated 90 lives were saved.

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