Thanks to a donation from the Lincoln County Emergency Management Agency, the Wiscasset Fire Department has a portable piece of medical equipment that could help restart a heart. The automatic external defibrillator is kept on the fire department’s rescue truck that goes to emergency scenes, Wiscasset Fire Chief T.J. Merry said May 1.

The department received the defibrillator two days earlier. Having it means that firefighters could immediately aid someone if the need arises, Merry said.

“It could be at an accident or a structure fire. Heaven forbid, if one of our guys goes into cardiac arrest, then we could at least get started,” before an ambulance arrives, he said.

The defibrillator cost $901, Lincoln County EMA Director Tod Hartung said. The agency got it with surplus Homeland Security funds that the Maine Emergency Management Agency was sharing with counties from its 2012-2013 surplus, Hartung said. Lincoln County received about $34,000 of the surplus.

As required for spending the Homeland Security money, Lincoln County spent about $11,000 of its share on law enforcement agencies, including the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office and local police departments; the rest benefited other public safety departments.

Wiscasset, Alna, Newcastle and Somerville fire departments and the Damariscotta Police Department each got a defibrillator; Monhegan Island received a generator, Hartung said. Some departments received meters for measuring levels of gas or carbon monoxide, Hartung said. Items were bought based on the departments’ requests, in order to best meet their needs and make the best use of the surplus money, he said.

“We have enough stuff,” Hartung said about the county emergency management agency. “So we just love being able to help the different communities.”

Just as Merry was glad to get the defibrillator, Hartung was glad the county could provide it.

“It’s a life saver,” he said.