PLANT CITY, Fla. — The Plant City Police Department received more than 50 life-saving AEDs to place in each patrol vehicle.
The Plant City Rotary Club donated 52 AEDs worth $92,000.
"We do two large fundraisers every year, so we were able to take the proceeds from several fundraisers to be able to put this program together for the police department," said Shawn Jemison, Rotary Club of Plant City President.
The devices will replace the old ones already in the officers' vehicles.
"We're driving around patrolling the city all day and when the call comes, we don't have to get up and go. We're already in the car so we can respond very quickly," said Chief James Bradford with the Plant City Police Department.
Officers received a refresher course on Monday night on how to use an AED. They train annually on a device used to revive someone who suffers sudden cardiac arrest. Each employee will be trained on the device.
"Often times, obviously, our police and fire rescue are first on scene, but that's not always the case. We want to make sure our officers are equipped with the technology, the life-saving technology in the event like something like that occurs," said Mayor Nathan Kilton with the City of Police Department.
The American Heart Association said more than 356,000 cardiac arrests occur outside a hospital in the United States every year. An AED in an officer's patrol car increases a person's chance of survival.
"All patrolmen, all the detectives, every employee here in the police department is going to be trained on the AED, the new ones, not only are they in the cars, we have them in the building as well," said Chief Bradford.
