Howard County Cruisers Now Equipped With Mobile Defibrillators

Cardiac arrest occurs often in vehicle collisions, and now the Howard County Police, frequently the first responders, are equipped with the same defibrillator devices found in ambulances.

HCPD announced in a statement this week the installation of 50 Automatic External Defibrillator (AED) devices into county police vehicles. This is in addition to the more than 150 active ambulances and fire engines that carry the devices, according to police spokesperson Elizabeth Schroen.

“Most people don’t know that police are also trained as first responders,” Police Chief William McMahon said in the press release. “Our officers can act quickly during these critical first few minutes and increase the likelihood of survival.”

Fire Chief William Goddard, whose personnel regularly use the devices, said AEDs "strengthen the chain of survival" when the first emergency personnel on the scene have the technology available.

"Time and time again, we’ve seen AEDs play a vital role in saving lives," Goddard said.

The equipment determines whether the rhythm of a patient's heartbeat will require defibrillation and walks the user through the procedure with audio prompts, according to the police department.

All 50 AED devices cost the county approximately $58,000 and a full list of the 80 public AED devices is available on the Howard County government website.

“When every second counts, it’s critical that the very first responders have the right life-saving devices,” said Howard County Executive Ken Ulman.