Press Releases
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD) received 13 Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) from the Lucky Hearts Campaign today, Wednesday, August 31st, at 10:30 am at the CMPD Metro Division, 1118 Beatties Ford Road.
The donation will help to outfit all 13 of CMPD’s divisions with at least one AED. Public use AEDs help to increase a person’s chances of survival if they are suffering a cardiac arrest. By CMPD outfitting all 13 team offices with an AED, it will increase their chances of possibly saving a life if and when a cardiac related emergency occurs onsite.
“These devices just may save the life of one our officers or civilian employees”, stated Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department Chief Rodney Monroe. “I pray we never have to use them, but it’s comforting to know they’re available if we do.”
Public use AEDs are quickly spreading throughout Mecklenburg County. More and more business owners are buying AEDs to protect their employees, clients and customers. The faster an AED is applied to a person suffering cardiac arrest, the better their chances of survival and recovery. If a person’s heart doesn’t return to a normal rhythm before 5-7 minutes of a cardiac arrest, it could be fatal. That is why the Lucky Hearts Campaign is helping to raise awareness and donate AEDs throughout the County.
“To date, Medic’s Dispatch Center has a total 494 AEDs registered in our call system,” stated Medic spokesperson Kristin Young. “However, our campaign will continue to raise awareness of the importance of public use AEDs and the need for more businesses to purchase, install and register their AEDs with Medic. Early CPR plus early defibrillation is the key to survival.”
CMPDs 13 AEDs will be placed strategically throughout their divisions. In the event of a cardiac arrest occurring in one of their facilities, trained CMPD personnel can quickly respond in hopes of increasing a person’s chances of survival. A cardiac arrest can occur anywhere, at any time, to anyone; that is why it is so important to deploy AEDs in places of business or large gathering areas.
In addition to the 13 AEDs being donated, CMPD along with the Lucky Hearts Campaign will in turn donate a total of 32 AEDs to Charlotte-Mecklenburg School System (CMS). These 32 AEDs will help to outfit the remaining CMS elementary schools that do not currently have an AED onsite. Currently, all CMS high schools and middle schools have at least one AED. With this donation today, the Lucky Hearts Campaign has now approved a total of 97 AEDs to be donated within the County since the campaign began in 2009.
If you or a loved one is experiencing a medical emergency, please dial 911 immediately. Every second counts during a medical emergency, especially a cardiac related emergency. Activating the 911 system immediately after you determine someone is in need of medical attention will greatly increase their chances of survival. Bystanders are a crucial link in the chain of survival; that is why first responders, police and Medic need your help with saving lives.
For more information on the Lucky Hearts Campaign and AEDs or to donate an AED to a deserving organization, please visit www.luckyhearts.com.
Lucky Hearts Campaign Partnership
The Mecklenburg Medical Alliance and Endowment (MMAE) is a nonprofit corporation primarily comprised by spouses of physicians, whose sole purpose is to improve the health and quality of life for the people of Mecklenburg County. Established 74 years ago, MMAE has supported, through funds or volunteers, more than sixty area community health organizations.
MEDIC has served as Mecklenburg County’s EMS Agency since 1978. With more than 400 employees and a fleet of sixty-five ambulances, mass casualty vehicles, and emergency response assets, MEDIC responds to more than 100,000 calls into the organization’s 9-1-1 emergency response dispatch center each year.
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