July 25, 2026
VERNON COUNTY, Wis. – Vernon County Sheriff’s deputies will now carry life saving epinephrine auto injectors following a donation announced during a press conference at the sheriff’s office.
The collaboration began when Vernon County Sheriff Roy Torgerson learned of the initiative through the Badger State Sheriffs Association network. Wood County Sheriff Shawn Becker had shared the story of the Andrew Mueller Foundation and its mission with his colleagues, prompting Torgerson to reach out immediately to express interest.
“I was sitting on my deck, and I immediately sent Mark a text message,” said Torgerson. “I told Mark I was interested, and he sent me a text this morning and said, Sheriff, I’m on my way with your EpiPens.”
Mark and Cristin Mueller of Wisconsin Rapids began their campaign following the tragic death of their 20 year old son Andrew in November 2024. Andrew suffered a fatal anaphylactic reaction after accidentally eating peanut butter candies, and the family was completely unaware that he had a severe peanut allergy.
“He had an unknown peanut allergy, and accidentally purchased candy with peanut butter, peanut butter M&Ms, and one handful of them, and told us that his mouth started itching, and the next thing you know, we’re into anaphylaxis,” said Mueller.
Police arrived quickly after the family called 911, but the officers did not carry epinephrine. Andrew suffered severe oxygen deprivation while waiting for paramedics to arrive and was removed from life support two days later. Torgerson stressed the critical need for law enforcement to carry the medication in rural areas where ambulance response times can vary.
“We are truly blessed here in Vernon County to be surrounded by a wonderful, amazing team of emergency medical responders, technicians, and some paramedics,” said Torgerson. “However, there are times when law enforcement officers are the very first to arrive at a scene. We’re rural.”
Torgerson explained that immediate action is necessary to combat severe allergic reactions and that deputies will now be equipped to step in.
“Epinephrine is the first line life saving treatment for anaphylaxis,” said Torgerson. “It must be used immediately for an anaphylactic event.”
To ensure his death was not in vain, Andrew’s friends and family hosted a memorial truck and car show in his honor to carry on his memory. The event raised enough money to supply epinephrine to every police officer and sheriff’s deputy in Wood County.
“Andrew’s group of truck friends told us that they wanted to get together and do a car show in his honor,” said Mueller. “We raised enough money to buy epinephrine for every police officer in Wood County, and that was where we started.”
Under the donation program, the foundation provides the initial supply of epinephrine. To sustain the program locally, agencies establish restricted funds to purchase replacements when the original devices expire. Vernon County has already raised over $1,200 from a recent sheriff’s barbecue to seed its replacement fund.
“I just attended a fundraiser just on Thursday night, and we raised over $1,200,” said Torgerson. “Where that money will go, is into a non lapsing, or call it a restricted fund, where it stays, and then hopefully we can build upon that initial $1,200. So when these epi pens expire, we can have the funds to replace them.”
Deputies will also undergo specialized training to recognize anaphylaxis and administer the medication. They will utilize online resources from the Food Allergy Research and Education organization and receive in person instruction supported by Mark Mueller.
The foundation’s long term goal is to supply EpiPens to every police officer in the state, and Mueller noted the rapid expansion of their efforts on the day of the press conference alone.
“We’ve purchased enough epinephrine today,” said Mueller. “I’m delivering to five different counties, and my wife is delivering another county here across the state. So we’re committed to this, and our goal is to continue doing this until every officer in Wisconsin has epinephrine.”
Beyond the donations, the Muellers are heavily involved in advocating for state legislation that would mandate all first responders carry epinephrine and receive training on its use. Mueller urged the public to contact their lawmakers to support the pending bills to honor his son.
“House Bill 156 has been started,” said Mueller. “It’s kind of stalled in the Senate right now, and awareness as well as talking to your senators, is going to help to get what’s we’re hoping to be called Andrews Law passed, so that every officer has epinephrine.”
If would like to donate directly to the Andrew Mueller Memorial Fund you can follow this link.
Andrew’s Law is the unofficial name that Mark and Cristin Mueller hope will be given to pending Wisconsin legislation honoring their 20-year-old son, Andrew, who tragically died from an anaphylactic reaction to an unknown peanut allergy in November 2024.
Senate Bill 156 (which Mark Mueller colloquially referred to as “House Bill 156” during the press conference) and its companion bill, Assembly Bill 128 (AB 128), are the formal pieces of legislation currently being debated in the Wisconsin state legislature.
If passed, this legislation would mandate that all first responders in Wisconsin carry an epinephrine delivery system (such as an EpiPen) while on duty and receive specialized training to recognize and treat severe allergic reactions. The requirement would apply to a wide range of emergency personnel, including police officers, sheriff’s deputies, firefighters, emergency medical responders, conservation wardens, and correctional officers.
The Muellers became fierce advocates for this legislation because of the circumstances surrounding their son’s death. When Andrew went into anaphylactic shock, police officers arrived at the scene quickly and performed CPR, but they did not carry epinephrine. Andrew suffered fatal oxygen deprivation during the seven minutes it took for paramedics to arrive with the necessary medication. The proposed bills aim to close this gap by ensuring that first responders—who are frequently the first to arrive at an emergency scene, especially in rural communities—are equipped to administer this life-saving treatment immediately.
While the legislation has bipartisan support, lawmakers have raised concerns about the logistics and costs of funding the mandate. The Wisconsin Department of Health Services estimates it will cost at least $2.6 million annually to provide the required two-packs of EpiPens to the state’s roughly 17,450 eligible first responders, as the medication expires yearly and requires constant replacement. The state would also need to spend over $72,000 annually for a program coordinator to identify training courses and manage the distribution of the devices.
To help offset these financial hurdles and get epinephrine into the hands of officers immediately, the Muellers and local law enforcement have been relying on private donations, fundraisers like the Andrew Mueller Memorial Car Show, and partnerships with non-profits to purchase the initial supplies.
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