What’s the difference between a police officer and a firefighter? All jokes aside, the similarities are more significant than the differences when it comes to real-life emergency situations. Thanks to the outfitting of Sumner police officers with automated external defibrillators, AEDs, those similarities have grown closer in the last several months.
On Jan. 21, Sumner resident David Nelson attended the Sumner City Council meeting to thank the officers and firefighters who saved his life.
Nelson suffered a cardiac arrest at his home in November while watching a Seahawks game with his wife, Michelle. His wife, who was trained in CPR, began chest compressions and quickly dialed 911. The first responder on scene wasn’t a firefighter or paramedic.
Sumner Police Officer Matt Watson and Sergeant Gary Backus arrived with an AED to provide Nelson’s heart with the critical shock it needed to keep him alive.
East Pierce Fire and Rescue provided all Sumner police vehicle with AEDs and provided training for the officers last year.
East Pierce provides services to 152 square miles in Pierce County and have been in the process of providing the same AEDs and training opportunities to police departments throughout.
“Because of this collaborative effort, we have a survivor,” East Pierce Battalion Chief Jeff Moore said.
Officers are always out patrolling the community, so they are often on scene before the firefighters, Moore said.
“Those extra minutes can make the difference between life and death. The chance of survival drops by 10 percent for every minute the heart goes without oxygen. Equipping police officers with an AED saves minutes when minutes are critical,” he said.
Editors note: The following information was provided by East Pierce Fire and Rescue.
Automated External Defibrillator Program
East Pierce Fire and Rescue recently received a $20,000 grant from the King County Medic One Foundation to implement the final phase of a jurisdiction-wide automated external defibrillator program. The grant is being used to purchase AEDs for the Bonney Lake Police Department. New devices typically cost between $1,000-2,000 each. The district was able to leverage its purchasing power to secure the 34 AEDs.
With this final set of AEDs, the fire department has installed the life-saving units in every patrol car in the fire district. East Pierce also provides annual training for the officers, medical direction and case reviews when the AEDs are deployed. The devices are small, weighing between 3-5 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,” East Pierce Battalion Chief Jeff Moore said.
Last year, the Sumner Police Department applauded East Pierce Fire and Rescue by presenting the fire district with a plaque in recognition of their efforts. The plaque stated, “This partnership will undoubtedly save lives by providing emergent medical care when minutes count,”
More said the district still plans to provide AEDs for Pierce County Sheriff’s deputies, Foothills Detachment.
“Our next effort will be to place AEDs in public locations,” he said.
AEDs can be found in all 27 schools in 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.
AED training is an integral part of the monthly, citizen CPR classes provided by EPFR.
“Coupled with CPR, the use of AEDs can have a tremendous impact on patient survival,” Moore said.
How do AEDs work?
Often a person who suffers a cardiac arrest related to heart disease has a heart rhythm known as ventricular fibrillation. The chambers of the heart are contracting chaotically, preventing it from pumping blood throughout the body. If this rhythm is not corrected within seven to ten minutes, that person will die. Defibrillation, provided by an AED, is the process of applying a specially designed electrical charge to the heart to stop ventricular fibrillation and, hopefully, allow the heart to return to a normal rhythm.
AEDs work best in conjunction with CPR. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation, or CPR, is an emergency procedure that keeps oxygenated blood moving to the brain and heart by compressing the chest and forcing air into the lungs. While CPR doesn’t restart the heart, it buys time for the patient to be shocked.
East Pierce can provide assistance to businesses and churches that plan to invest in an AED, including the purchase of refurbished AEDs, which can cost as little $600 each. The fire department also provides free training, medical direction and inspections of the units.
East Pierce offers American Heart Association-certified CPR classes twice a month at its headquarters station in Bonney Lake. A free, one-hour hands-only CPR course is offered for those who do not require a certification card. Both classes include AED training. For more information and to register online, visit East Pierce online and click on classes.
