Police to Get Heart-Starting Devices

The Brea Police Department received a $77,000 donation Thursday to equip all of its cars with portable defibrillators that can save victims of sudden cardiac arrest.

The gift -- from NBA star Karl Malone; his agent, Dwight Manley; Mercury Insurance Group; and professional drag racer John Force -- helped the department buy about 50 of the Automated External Defibrillators, or AEDs.

“As a direct result of their generosity, lives will be saved,” Brea Police Chief Michael Messina said.

The machines will be carried in all of Brea’s 40 police vehicles; the department also serves Yorba Linda. The remaining defibrillators will be put in public buildings in both cities.

AEDs are becoming increasingly common in government buildings, at airports, on cruise ships and even at golf courses.

The machines are the size of a laptop computer and have adhesive patches that deliver a small electric shock.

They are easy to operate and can be used on heart attack or drowning victims, among others. The shock helps restore normal heartbeat.

According to the American Heart Assn., sudden cardiac arrest kills about 340,000 U.S. adults a year. The immediate use of a defibrillator can greatly increase the chance for survival.

Not all public agencies have the budget to buy the machines. This year, Manley’s wife learned that the Newport Beach Police Department was raising funds to buy AEDs for its patrol cars, the sports agent said.

“It is a very inexpensive price to pay for an opportunity to save lives,” said Manley, who lives in Newport Beach.

So Manley and his client Malone, who also lives in Newport Beach, donated $81,000 to the Newport department to buy about 50 AEDs.

Since they were deployed last summer, the department has already used one of the machines once, though the victim, who apparently had a massive heart attack, did not survive.

Still, the officers were the first ones to get to the scene, said Police Sgt. Steve Shulman. Because police are already in the field, they often arrive at medical emergencies before paramedics do, he said, and “even a minute can make a big difference” in such cases.

Manley said he also wanted to help Brea police because he grew up there. He approached Malone and Mercury Insurance Group, which has a large office in the city. The final donor, Force, is a 20-year resident of Yorba Linda.