The Jefferson County sheriff plans to use some of his department’s budget to restart a first responder medical training and certification program for deputies to be able to supplement emergency medical providers and help provide care when they are first to the scene of an incident.

“In many instances, our deputies are first to arrive at a critical medical incident. I can’t imagine not being able to provide aid that may directly impact whether a victim survives until an ambulance arrives,” Sheriff Tom Grimsrud wrote in a social media announcement Thursday.

Both in the post and in an interview Friday, Grimsrud stressed that he does not intend for his deputies to replace any existing emergency medical response teams in the county, some of whom are volunteers, but might, for instance, help d

See Full Page