February 20, 2025
A daily walk has become routine for Lt. Col. Mike Krumm. He and his wife added the movement as part of her recovery following knee surgery, but a Saturday stroll last September left him feeling “off” and led him to the hospital where it was confirmed he’d had a heart attack.
“I thought I was dehydrated, but after drinking water and resting I still couldn’t shake it,” said Lt. Colonel Krumm, deputy director of the Professional Development Bureau. “I put myself into a seated, curled up position and it went away. As soon as I came out of that position it came back. That’s when I remembered from first aid training that the only thing you can do when someone is having a heart attack is monitor them and put them into a position that feels most comfortable. I knew I had to get checked.”
An electrocardiogram (EKG) and blood pressure check came back normal, but the blood test showed a high level of troponin, which is an indicator of damage to his heart.
“I had a heart attack. Fortunately, we caught it early,” he said. “Within days, I had two stents put in and felt better immediately. I was very lucky. I have coworkers who sadly haven’t survived.”
A simple screening may have alerted him to the problem. Building upon that idea, the MSP is piloting voluntary cardiovascular screenings that are tailored specifically to police officers. The pilot program was in the works before Lt. Colonel Krumm’s episode in the fall but he’s confident this screening could have prevented his heart attack and that it will certainly help others.
Research shows law enforcement officers die younger and have more frequent heart attacks than others. The average age for a heart attack among police officers is 46 years old, compared to 65 years old for the general population. While there’s no one cause, experts believe unique stress patterns and lifestyle factors contribute to the increased risk faced by police officers.
The pilot was originally planned for up to 500 participants. When 711 MSP members, or roughly a third of all enforcement members, signed on, MSP leadership made the easy decision to expand the pilot group and include everyone who was interested. The screenings began this month, which is American Heart Month, and run through late March.
“Our members are our most valuable resource, and we are very intentional about offering tangible ways to help them take better care of their physical and mental health,” said Jennifer Dillon, manager of the MSP Wellness and Resiliency Section. “Awareness and early screening for cardiovascular disease are crucial components of a law enforcement professional's wellness plan. This screening could be lifesaving for some or, at the very least, give participants a baseline to track their heart health over the course of their careers.”
The screenings, conducted by United Diagnostics Services LLC, include an ultrasound and comprehensive blood panel. Participants have an opportunity to attend a brief, virtual educational session, too. Results are reported directly to individuals through a HIPPA-compliant platform.
“If this does what we think it will do, we should be able to save some people from experiencing heart attacks and cardiovascular disease,” said Lt. Colonel Krumm. “There’s an educational piece to this too. We need to learn and recognize the warning signs and be proactive, just like we would assess situations when we are on-duty.”
The American Heart Association indicates a heart attack can be sudden and intense or start slowly with mild pain or discomfort in the chest or upper body. Learn more at Heart.org/HeartAttack.
