Defibrillators Carried By Police

**Motorwaycop** · 01-31-12, 05:37 AM

For some time it has been muted that as first responders we carry these. I think the fact that the new ones are fairly idiot proof helps!
Nice to see my old unit is the first to give it a go.

BBC News - West Midlands motorway police to carry defibrillators

**Mark7** · 01-31-12, 06:08 AM

Great device! I'm still here because of one carried by our cars. . . .

**Odd** · 01-31-12, 06:28 AM

I'm fascinated by this particular kit, mostly because I know little about it. Some years ago defibrillators were all the rage in the news, but what was missing was why. (If not for Duracell using it for marketing I may well still not know about them) Is CPR ineffective, are these much more so?

**Standard Dave** · 01-31-12, 06:36 AM

CPR alone will not revive a casualty from a heart attack.

Those who have collapsed in the last few minutes may be in Atrial fibrillation the defibrillators stop this random and unhelpful chaotic electrical impulse and hopefully the heart and nervous system will start in a proper useful normal heart beat.

I think the ARVs in Hertfordshire had them about 10 years ago when I was at uni down that way. That was at a time they were considered so difficult to use that as a volunteer medic I was required to requalify on them every 3 months.

The newest ones can really be used by an untrained member of the public the pads have a picture of where to stick them on and the machine gives a voice prompt for everything including CPR between shocks.

**Five-0** · 01-31-12, 10:56 AM

I would hope that this would become more common the world over. It has been discussed for patrol supervisors to carry them here. As an AED instructor I wish we could get a grant to put them in all cars. We routinely arrive to scenes before rescue. That is not a slight to them, just the nature of our area.

**Jks9199** · 01-31-12, 12:14 PM

We carry them in two of our cruisers; they're supposed to be on the street at all times. We've had a couple of good saves with them over the years.

**Shoestring** · 01-31-12, 12:30 PM

all of our cars have them and we have two saves in the last few years

we are not doing cpr anymore on witnessed arrest, we now do ccr, has a high rate of life
your blood is so oxygen rich that getting the blood preasure back up is found to be more important, 200 compressions in 2 min an breath then 200more compressionsin 2 min etc

**keith720** · 01-31-12, 03:29 PM

We had them when they first came out, and they had rechargable batteries. The first time I hooked it up to a guy, I hit the button, and the machine said "Low Battery. Charge before use." It was a definate 'Oh shit" moment. I did CPR for about 10 minutes before EMS got there and got the guy started once, be he petered out and died. I'm glad that we've upgraded to the latest generation now.