SARATOGA SPRINGS -- A family in Saratoga Springs is using their personal tragedy to try and raise money to help others.

Suzanne Christiansen Quist Clawson said her husband of 22 years, Lynn, was laying tile at his home April 30, when he came upstairs and said he was feeling dizzy. Moments later, he sat down on the couch and passed out from a heart attack.

"I knew that he was basically gone," she said.

Clawson called 911, but she said medical help was slow in coming. Ambulances from Saratoga Springs were stuck in construction traffic on Redwood Road. Clawson said her bishop arrived before any emergency personnel, and a man who was laying tile with Lynn performed CPR with instructions from dispatchers.

Saratoga Springs police were the first to arrive on scene. As each police car pulled up to the home, Clawson said she ran to the patrol car to see if it had a portable defibrillator, but none did.

"I just couldn't believe it," she said.

Finally, Lehi ambulances came to the home, and a defibrillator was used, but it was too late for Lynn. Medical personnel got his pulse back and started his heart again, but Clawson said her husband never breathed on his own again.

"The main thing is that fast response that you need to shock the heart, and it wasn't there," she said.

Clawson said police and paramedics did their best to save her husband. It's impossible to say whether a portable defibrillator in the first police cars would have saved Lynn's life, but Clawson said she is now determined to raise money to put the device in patrol cars. It may not have saved Lynn, but it could be vital for a person injured at the lake or a drowning child, she said.

"It's so helpful," she said. "It might save other lives."

The biggest concern for Clawson is the children, she said. With nearby hot springs and near-drownings in the past, Clawson said she believes it is vital for the city's first responders to have defibrillators.

Clawson and some family friends are now trying to raise the $10,000 it would take to equip Saratoga Springs' police cars with the defibrillators. Instead of flowers after Lynn's death, Clawson asked for donations. Already, she has received some money from relatives from Pennsylvania, Florida and Arizona. Lynn would love the idea, Clawson said. He spent a lot of his time giving to charity and trying to help others.

"He would think it's a good cause, especially for the young people," she said.

Neighbor Ron Price said he has known the Clawsons for 10 years, and he was shocked when his wife told him something was wrong at their house. When he looked outside at the Clawsons' home, several emergency vehicles had already arrived.

"They were working very hard to save him, but it didn't work," he said.

Saratoga Springs is a long, narrow city, Price said. Because police cars are constantly on patrol, they will invariably be the first responders on scene. Price said the incident has spurred him and others into action to raise money for defibrillators. He has been working with the city to allow residents to donate money for the cause, and a fund will be set up under Lynn Clawson's name at Zions Bank for donations.

Price said only seven police cars need to be equipped with the defibrillators. However, the devices are expensive, running more than $1,000 apiece. Price said he hopes to raise $10,000, but if more is donated, pads in adult and child sizes may be purchased for the defibrillators.

Price said he wants to see whether there is any state or federal funding for the devices as well. Over the next week, volunteers will be visiting local businesses to try and get donations or support in some way.

"We're trying to get out to the public so they can donate for this," he said.

Saratoga Springs police Cpl. Aaron Rosen said the defibrillators are something the department wants to have in cars. However, for the two-year-old department, there just isn't any money. There used to be grants available to put the devices in patrol cars, but Rosen said the economy has dried up most of those grants now.

"We're indeed touched by the Clawson family, especially Suzanne, in her trying to help," he said.

Rosen said there are always situations that could be improved with a portable defibrillator. There are emergency situations frequently in which a resident's life or even that of an officer could be saved by the device.

"In public safety, you equip for the worst and hope for the best," he said.

Donations for the Lynn Clawson Defibrillator Memorial Fund can be made at the Saratoga Springs city offices and police department and at Zions Bank. Checks made out to the city should include "Lynn Clawson Defibrillator Memorial Fund" in the memo line.