The St. Elmo Police Department will now be carrying EpiPens. In a release from St. Elmo Police Chief Brock Rich, it states that in an effort to better serve the community, the St. Elmo Police Department has completed the necessary steps to purchase and provide officers with the EpiPens to carry while on patrol. The Illinois Legislature passed the law referred to as the “Annie LeGere Law”–which allows law enforcement officers, who are often first on the scene, to carry and administer the drug to those suffering an allergy related emergency. To administer the medication, officers undergo training that is certified by the state and provided at no cost to the community. The St. Elmo Police Department purchased one adult set and one junior version for children. And, the cost of $959.99 was covered by an anonymous donor after the heard about the program.
St. Elmo Police Chief Brock Rich stated “The goal of this department is to find the best ways to serve our community and address the diverse needs of our residents. I believe that any opportunity to place potentially life saving resources in our community, especially rural areas that take time to reach, should be pursued. We sincerely appreciate the support of community members who have worked to establish the program and hope to see other departments do the same.”