Palouse Police Department will be getting two Automatic External Defibrillators, thanks to the generosity of MacGregor, The Palouse Chamber of Commerce and Palouse Grain Growers’ donations, totaling $2,500.
An automated external defibrillator (AED) is a lightweight, portable device that delivers an electric shock through the chest to the heart. The shock can potentially stop heart arrhythmia and allow a normal rhythm to resume after sudden cardiac arrest (SCA). SCA occurs when the heart malfunctions and stops beating unexpectedly. If not treated within minutes, it quickly leads to death. Most SCAs result from ventricular fibrillation (VF). VF is a rapid and unsynchronized heart rhythm that originates in the heart’s lower chambers (the ventricles). The heart must be “defibrillated” quickly because a victim’s chance of surviving drops by seven to 10 percent for every minute a normal heartbeat isn’t restored.
AEDs have a proven track record of preventing brain damage and saving lives.
