Automated External Defibrillators in police cars

Laval’s finest will be getting an equipment upgrade in 2012 which will help save lives. About twenty of Laval’s police cars will be equipped with automated external defibrillators. Due to the nature of their work the police regularly have to intervene in situations where a person may suffer from a cardiac arrest. When confronted with sudden cardiac arrest mere seconds can mean the difference between life and death. The automatic external defibrillators which are portable and generally weigh only a few pounds can be easily located in a patrol car. These units can be carried to the patient quickly without fumbling and offer step by step verbal and video emergency instruction to a first responder. Their ease of use will revolutionize the way a certified or uncertified rescuer will approach a life-saving situation. Every minute during a cardiac arrest is important as the probability of survival decreases from 7% to 10% each minute cardiopulmonary resuscitative medical intervention is delayed. Making this technology more accessible has been shown to increase survival rates of heart attack victims. Laval becomes the first urban center in Québec whose police cars will be equipped with automated external defibrillators.