Police Officers Now Carrying Defibrillators

The city’s Police Department on Wednesday became the first law enforcement agency in Los Angeles County to have patrol officers carry portable heart defibrillators. It’s part of a nationwide movement to provide immediate help to people suffering sudden cardiac arrest.

The department Wednesday received four defibrillators from Heartstream, a Seattle-based firm. The devices send electrical shocks to the heart to help resume a normal heartbeat. “If we save one life, it is worth it,” said Senior Officer Greg Cunningham. The devices are on loan for a 10-month trial, after which the department will decide whether to buy them for permanent use.

Studies show that lives could be saved in about 30% of sudden cardiac arrest cases if assistance was provided in the first four minutes, Glendora Police Chief Paul Butler said.

Unlike a heart attack, sudden cardiac arrest is often brought on by an irregular heartbeat that causes the heart to spasm so that it no longer pumps blood and the victim suddenly loses consciousness.

For years, the devices were bulky and expensive, but last fall the Food and Drug Administration approved the use of a defibrillator the size of large book, developed by Heartstream. The device is programmed to speak to the operator with instructions on its use.