County Health Gives Deputies Portable Defibrillators
More County Sheriff’s deputies will have portable defibrillators in their patrol cars, thanks to a pilot program launched last week by the Alameda County Health Department.
County Health's Emergency Medical Services Agency distributed 100 devices among seven law enforcement agencies, including the Alameda County Sheriff's Office (ACSO), to increase pre-hospital cardiac arrest survival rates.
For every minute someone goes without intervention after cardiac arrest, survival decreases by approximately 10 percent, according to Alameda County EMS Director Lauri McFadden.
“Our police officers and sheriff deputies are often first on the scene responding to individuals experiencing serious cardiac issues,” said McFadden. “By outfitting patrol cars with these devices and providing officers with critical training resources, we are giving those individuals a better chance to survive. These are critical life-saving services.”
Automated external defibrillators (AEDs) are portable medical devices that can help people experiencing cardiac arrest. They analyze the heart's rhythm and can deliver an electrical shock to help restore a normal rhythm. They are designed to be user-friendly, with clear instructions on how to use them in an emergency. According to the National Institutes of Health, more than 360,000 cardiac arrests happen outside a hospital every year in the United States.
In California, AEDs are required in stadiums, churches, and theatres with an occupancy greater than 300, business buildings with more than 200 people, schools, health studios, fitness centers, and public swimming pools.
The new AEDs have advanced geographic information system (GIS) mapping to show the devices' locations, battery health, and other usage data. Additionally, they can link directly to dispatch centers as a resource to provide real-time cardiac data reporting. The AEDs have pediatric settings, and the display can be set to Spanish.
In addition to ACSO, police departments in Oakland, Berkeley, Piedmont, Albany, Dublin, and the Oakland Housing Authority received some of the 100 AEDs.