SAN BRUNO (BCN) — All of the San Bruno Police Department’s patrol vehicles are now equipped with a portable automated external defibrillator, police said.
Sudden cardiac arrest is an abrupt loss of heart function that, if not treated within minutes, can be fatal.
Approximately 325,000 Americans die of sudden cardiac arrest every year, according to police. As many as 25 percent of those deaths could be prevented if an AED were available.
An AED delivers an electric shock through the chest to the heart, stopping an irregular heart rhythm and allowing a normal rhythm to return after cardiac arrest, police said.
“It is difficult to predict what type of first responder will be the first to arrive at any particular scene,” San Bruno police Chief Ed Barberini said in a statement.
“This availability of AEDs enhances the ability of our personnel to take immediate action during a medical emergency,” Barberini said.
The San Bruno Fire Department utilized donated funds to purchase AEDs for all city buildings and police patrol cars, police said.
“The Fire Department is proud to work cooperatively with law enforcement to provide the highest level of service to the community of San Bruno,” San Bruno Fire Chief Dave Downing said.