Call 911 immediately for medical emergencies

⏵ Inform the dispatcher if cardiac arrest is suspected!

*All University of Florida Police Department (UFPD) patrol cars are equipped with AEDs and officers are trained in their use*

An automated external defibrillator (AED) is a medical device designed to be used by trained employees or the general public to respond to apparent cases of cardiac arrest.  AEDs automatically analyze the victim’s heart rhythm and deliver an electric shock when ventricular fibrillation is detected.  The shock often restores the heart rhythm to normal.

AEDs Save Lives – Improving survival from sudden cardiac arrest.

Sudden cardiac arrest occurs when ventricular fibrillation takes place or when the heart stops beating altogether. Ventricular fibrillation is the uncoordinated heart rhythm most often responsible for sudden cardiac arrest.

Without medical attention, the victim collapses, loses consciousness, and dies. Many victims have no prior history of heart disease and are stricken without warning. There are 220,000 victims of sudden cardiac arrest per year in the United States; about 10,000 sudden cardiac arrests occur at work. Waiting for the arrival of emergency medical system personnel results in only 5-7% survival. Studies with immediate defibrillation have shown up to 60% survival one year after sudden cardiac arrest.