Article Contributed on: 1/25/2006 2:34:10 PM
The Edgewater Police Department became the eighth law enforcement agency on a national level to receive lifesaving AED (Automated External Defibrillator) technology as part of the Reviver Provider AED Police Grant Program. AEDs are computer-driven medical devices used to deliver an electric shock through the chest wall to the heart during cardiac emergencies.
Edgewater Mayor Ronalda Goodner and Police Chief Dan Keough accepted the lifesaving gift at a special ceremony held at Edgewater’s city hall on January 19th. The donation was part of a national program designed by Cintas Corporation to get lifesaving AED technology into the hands of trained officers, often the first to respond to cardiac emergencies.
Speaking to an audience of city officials and community members, Mayor Goodner discussed the importance of having AED technology readily available. “Having this technology available during a cardiac emergency can mean the difference between life and death in our community,” she said. “Outfitting our police officers with AEDs significantly enhances our ability to save lives when seconds count.”
The Edgewater Police Department was the eighth law enforcement agency selected to receive the grant from a pool of over 3,000 applications nationwide. Their close working relationship with local fire and EMT personnel, as well as their mutual aid responsibilities made the creation of an AED program critical to the department’s situational readiness and training.
“All of the grant applicants demonstrated need, and they were all very deserving,” said Mike Wallner, Cintas Reviver Provider AED Grant Program Manager. “We congratulate and thank the Edgewater PD for their service to the community.”
The Cintas ReviveR Provider Grant Program works on two levels. Police departments across the country are eligible to apply for the grant online at the program’s web site – www.reviverprovider.org. Four times a year, a department will be selected to receive four ReviveR AEDs along with associated AED training from the American Heart Association. Through a civic underwriting program, qualifying non-profit and civic organizations interested in purchasing AEDs to present to local police departments can apply for special financing support.
Information and applications for the program are available online at www.reviverprovider.org.
According to the American Heart Association, more than 250,000 people a year die from sudden cardiac arrest. The Reviver Provider AED Police Grant Program helps Cintas and civic groups support law enforcement in their efforts to rapidly respond to cardiac emergencies.