Every year sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) kills between 35,000 and 45,000 people in Canada and approximately 350,000 people in the United States; 85% of SCAs are caused by ventricular fibrillation (VF). Receiving defibrillation from an automated external defibrillator (AED) is a key component of the 'chain of survival' for victims of SCA. Chances of survival from a SCA decrease by 7–10% every minute that a victim does not receive defibrillation. Attempts at reducing time until defibrillation have largely focused on improving traditional emergency medical service (EMS) responders and implementing publicly available defibrillator (PAD) programs. In the United States approximately 60% of SCAs are treated by EMS. Equipping police vehicles with AEDs and incorporating them in the emergency dispatching process when a SCA is suspected, can reduce the time until defibrillation for a victim suffering an out-of-hospital sudden cardiac arrest. There are numerous studies which confirm a strong coloration between equipping police vehicles with AEDs and reduced time until defibrillation which ultimately translates into improved survival rates from SCA. As a result of these demonstrable statistics, police departments across North America have begun equipping some or all of their police vehicles with AEDs.
United States In the 1990s three extensive studies, which examined different elements of police AED programs, occurred in Allegheny County, PA; Rochester, MN; and Miami, FL. The purpose of these studies was to examine the effectiveness of equipping police with AEDs, their ability to provide reduced response times in rural and suburban communities and how this translates to improved survival rates from SCA. The police departments which originally took part in these studies retained their adopted capabilities and now contribute to some of the highest survival rates from SCA in the country.
Allegheny County, PA Between 1 January 1990, and 31 January 1995, a study was conducted across 7 rural municipalities in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. This study examined the impact of dispatching police officers who were equipped with AEDs, to suspected SCAs, on survival rates from SCA in rural communities. In total, 200 police officers received CPR and AED training and 30 AEDs were deployed. Over the course of the study a 3.5 minute (51%) decrease in the interval between the 9-1-1 call and the application of the AED was observed. The study concluded that in the "7 suburban communities, police use of AEDs decreased time to defibrillation and was an independent predictor of survival to hospital discharge."
Rochester, MN In November 1990, the Rochester Minnesota Police Department received 4 defibrillators to equip 4 patrol vehicles. This initiative began as a part of a study to examine how effective police vehicles that were equipped with AEDs were at improving survival rates from SCA. The number of AEDs grew until in 2006, every marked police vehicle in the department had an AED. As of September 2011, this program has saved over 142 lives. As of September 2013, Rochester Minnesota achieved a survival rate from SCA of 58%, which is due to their Police AED Program.
Miami Dade County, FL In 1999 the Miami Dade Police Department partnered with the Metropolitan Miami-Dade County Public Health Trust and the Miami Heart Research Institute to examine the impact of police responders in combination with EMS on response times and survival rates from SCA. In 1999, between 1 February and 1 July, all Miami-Dade police officers were equipped with AEDs. This program involved 1900 police officers across 9 districts. The Metropolitan Miami-Dada County 9-1-1 emergency dispatching system was adjusted to accommodate a dual dispatching process. The results of this study indicated that dispatching police officers equipped with AEDs simultaneously with traditional EMS, in a large urban area can provide substantially reduced response times. This improved response time directly related to improved survival rates for victims of SCA with ventricular fibrillation or pulseless ventricular tachycardia (VF/VT). During this experiment, the survival rate for witnessed victims of SCA with VT/VF who were assisted by simultaneously dispatched police and EMS was 24%. The survival rate for witnessed victims of SCA with VT/VF who were assisted by EMS alone was 10.5%. The results of these studies have influenced many police departments throughout North America to adopt similar defibrillator programs for their vehicles.
Police departments in the United States which equip their patrol vehicles with automated external defibrillators State Police department Number of AEDs Date police AED program started Number of lives saved Regional SCA survival rate Additional information Arizona The Marana Police Department 15 N/A N/A N/A The AEDs were donated by the Steven M. Gootter Foundation. Arizona The Pima County Sheriff's Department 26 2014 N/A N/A The 26 AEDs are in the vehicles of sergeants who are patrol shift supervisors. The Pima County Sheriff's Department also equips the SWAT Team, Bomb Squad and Search and Rescue teams with mobile AEDs. The department's total number of mobile and stationary AEDs is 78.California The Glendora Police Department 15 1997 31 N/A In 1997, the Glendora Police Department became the first police department in Los Angeles County and the second police department in California to deploy AEDs among all of their police cruisers. There are 15 AEDs which equip all Glendora Police marked police cruisers. The program was expanded to include AEDs for all the non-sworn Community Services Officers and non-sworn voluntary Auxiliary Officers within the Glendora Police Department. California Westminster Police Department 33 2015 N/A NA Florida Flagler County Sheriff's Office 80 2013 N/A N/A The 80 AEDs will be placed in the vehicles of the Sheriff's Office fleet, including motorcycles. Florida Groveland Police Department A defibrillator in every active patrol vehicle 2007 N/A N/A N/A Florida Lakeland Police Department 131 defibrillators distributed among marked police vehicles N/A N/A N/A The funds for the defibrillators were raised through donations by members of the public. Between 400 and 500 people donated money which totaled $122,500.Florida Miami Dade Police Department 1900 patrol vehicles, marine units, mounted units, helicopters and bicycle patrols were all equipped with AEDs. 1999 N/A N/A The patrol officers of the Miami Dade Police Department take their police vehicles (with AED) home when off duty which allows the AED to remain available to the community at all time. Georgia Brookhaven Police Department 64 2013 N/A N/A The Friends of Brookhaven Foundation raised the funds, which were matched dollar for dollar by the City of Brookhaven, to purchase the 64 AEDs. These AEDs are issued to all patrol vehicles of the Brookhaven Police Department. Georgia The Floyd County Police Department 68 2010 N/A N/A These 68 AEDs were purchased with a $144,000 HRSA grant through the Georgia Department of Community Health.Georgia Rome Police Department 44 2009 N/A N/A N/A Kansas Lawrence Police Department 45 N/A N/A N/A In 2012, the Lawrence Police Foundation began a long term fundraising project to raise $47,000 to acquire 34 AEDs for the Lawrence Police Service. The Lawrence Police Department, prior to 2012 already had 11 AEDs, needed an additional 34 to equip all of their patrol vehicles. This goal was completed on 24 December 2014. Louisiana The Houma Police Department 18 2005 N/A N/A In 2005 the Houma Police Department received 8 AEDs in 2005 and an additional 10 in 2015. These 18 AEDs are distributed among officers while on patrol. Massachusetts Massachusetts State Police 323 2004 N/A N/A 78 of the 323 AEDs are in fixed locations such as stations and training facilities. The rest of the AEDs are issued to individual state troopers. Minnesota Minnesota State Patrol 499 2007 N/A N/A Every state patrol vehicle is equipped with an AED. Minnesota Rochester Police Department One AED in every Police Patrol vehicle 1990 As of September 2011, this program has saved over 142 lives. SCA survival rate in Rochester MN is 58%. Montana Gallatin County Sheriff's Office 37 N/A N/A 20% The Gallatin County Sheriff's Office purchased 28 of their 37 AEDs with finances from their jail revenue and now have AEDs in all of the Sheriff's Office patrol vehicles. New Jersey Statewide Deployment in police vehicles 1682 2003 N/A SCA survival rate for the State of New Jersey is 4%. In May 2003, The American Red Cross of Central New Jersey partnered with the New Jersey State Police Community Affairs Bureau to initiate a process that would provide CPR and AED training to hundreds of New Jersey state troopers. Twenty state troopers were also certified as CPR and AED instructors so that the department would be self-sufficient in retraining its officers. Several AEDs (between 3-5 units) were issued to eleven state police stations which were to be issued to patrol vehicles. In July 2005 The state of New Jersey purchased 1,682 AEDs to further equip police patrol vehicles across the state. This event is one of the largest single deployment of AEDs in the United States. New York New York State Police 1400 2007 170 N/A In 2007 the New York State Police Department equipped all marked cruisers with AEDs (1400) and placed an additional 300 AEDs in state police facilities. The New York State Police officers have been successful in 15% of saves involving SCA and AEDs. Ohio Geauga County Sheriff's Office 15 N/A N/A N/A The 15 new AEDs were donated by the University Hospitals Geauga Medical Center. These AEDs were donated in exchange for the Sheriff's Office existing AEDs, which required updating. The updated AEDs were then donated to local libraries and senior centers.
Canada Several police departments in Canada equip their patrol vehicles with defibrillators; however, this practice remains inconsistent. Within the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) there are no federal regulations that necessitate equipping RCMP vehicles or detachments with AEDs. Despite this there are currently four departments within the RCMP which do deploy AEDs. These departments are the Prime Minister Protective Detail, the Emergency Medical Response Team (EMRT), the Division Fitness and Lifestyle and "E" Division.
E Division of the RCMP operates in the province of British Columbia and is responsible for federal, provincial and municipal policing services throughout the province, with the exception of 11 communities. Despite the absence of federal regulations requiring RCMP officers to be equipped with AEDs, the BC Provincial Policing Standards state that, as of 30 January 2013, "the chief constable, chief officer, or commissioner must:
(1) Ensure that, for a rural police force that provides policing to a jurisdiction of less than 5,000 population, Conducted Energy Weapon (CEW) operators who have been assigned a CEW while on‐duty must also be equipped with an AED that is to be carried in their police vehicle. (2) Ensure that, for an urban police force that provides policing to a municipality of greater than 5,000 population, all on‐road patrol supervisors must be equipped with AEDs that are to be carried in their police vehicles. (3) Ensure that all officers who are authorized to use an AED receive and maintain training in accordance with Emergency and Health Services Commission consent requirements for police use of an AED."