East Pierce Fire and Rescue has armed local police officers in Sumner, Edgewood and Milton with an important life-saving tool – automated external defibrillators (AEDs).

“The theory is to get the AED to the patient as quickly as possible,” said East Pierce Battalion Chief Jeff Moore. “Law enforcement defibrillation is a proven concept around the country. We’re glad for the opportunity to partner with our law enforcement agencies.”

When someone suffers from cardiac arrest related to heart disease, the heart falls into a rhythm known as ventricular fibrillation (VF). The chambers of the heart contract chaotically, preventing it from pumping blood throughout the body. If this rhythm is not corrected within eight to ten minutes, that person will die. Defibrillation is the process of applying a specially-designed electrical charge to the heart to stop VF and, hopefully, allow the heart to return to a normal rhythm.

Moore noted that, while CPR doesn’t restart the heart, it does keep oxygenated blood moving to the brain and heart, which extends that eight-to-ten-minute window until the heart can be defibrillated.

“CPR buys time for the patient to be shocked, but it’s the shock that saves their life,” he said. “Survival decreases 10 percent for every minute the heart goes without oxygen. The officers are already patrolling the community and often arrive on scene before we do. Equipping police officers with an AED saves minutes when minutes are critical.”

The fire district received a $10,000 grant from the King County Medic One Foundation to purchase the AEDs. New devices typically cost between $1,000-2,000 per unit. The district was able to leverage its purchasing power to secure all 14 AEDs for the program with the grant money they received. The fire district provides annual training for the officers, medical direction and case reviews when the AEDs are deployed.

The devices are small, weighing between three to five pounds each, and will only shock patients whose hearts have stopped.

“They are safe to use and will never shock someone who doesn’t need it,” said Moore.

The Sumner Police Department already had 10 to 12 AEDs. The additional 14 AEDs allow nearly every patrol car to be equipped with the device. According to Sumner Police Chief Brad Moericke, his department was the first agency in Pierce County to acquire AEDs.

“Sumner had a long-standing program that was supported by the Sumner Fire Department, before it merged with East Pierce,” said East Pierce Assistant Chief Russ McCallion.

The collaborative effort was applauded by the Sumner City Council on May 20 at the council meeting, at which time the Sumner Police Department presented a plaque to East Pierce Fire and Rescue in recognition of their efforts. The plaque stated “this partnership will undoubtedly save lives by providing emergent medical care when minutes count.”

Earlier this year, East Pierce placed AEDs in all Edgewood and Milton patrol cars. McCallion said the district will focus on providing AEDs to Bonney Lake police and Pierce County Sheriff’s deputies next.

“It’s part of our on-going effort to place AEDs in the public,” he said.

AEDs can be found in all 27 schools within the fire district, plus many churches and public facilities. The Washington State Administrative Code requires that those who purchase an AED for a business or public place alert the fire department, who provides periodic inspection.

911 dispatchers are notified of AED locations so that, in case a person goes into cardiac arrest nearby, dispatchers can alert the caller that there is an AED available.

“Up to 50 percent of the time, when an AED is available, it is not used,” McCallion said. “In the heat of the moment, people forget or they simply never knew it was there. Worse yet, the device was not maintained and does not work when it’s needed.”

AED training is an integral part of the monthly, citizen CPR classes provided by East Pierce Fire and Rescue.

“Coupled with CPR, the use of AEDs can have a tremendous impact on patient survival,” McCallion said.