BUNNELL, Fla. – The Bunnell Police Department will soon be issued four automatic external defibrillators (AEDs) and the department intends to equip every officer with one.
According to a release, Bunnell Police Chief David Brannon suggested that the police department equip all officers with an AED during a Bunnell City Commission meeting. The idea was inspired by a suggestion from City Commissioner Pete Young, a retired Florida Highway Patrol Trooper.
Brannon said he hopes to equip each officer with an AED for their patrol car. An informal internet search showed that the average cost for an AED was roughly $3,000 each, and Brannon would need a total of 16 AEDs to fully outfit the Bunnell Police Department.
To jumpstart this goal Brannon contacted John Subers, the Foundation Director at Advent Health – Palm Coast, who agreed to help and enlisted additional community support from local businesses. Subers and others pooled their resources and provided the Bunnell Police Department with its first four AEDs.
“We are so grateful for the generous support of John (Subers) and the AdventHealth Foundation, and every one of these donors,” Brannon said. “These AEDs will make the difference in life and death situations.”
Brannon said that issuing AEDs to police officers could be a life-saving initiative. “Our first responder training teaches us that without oxygen, brain cells die after four to six minutes. So, two to three minutes in delivering life-saving aid can make the difference between quality of life or death.” Brannon said.
Research into local emergency medical calls showed that Bunnell police officers who are CPR-certified arrive, on average, two to three minutes before the ambulance.
Flagler County Fire Rescue will train all Bunnell police officers to use the AEDs, and one officer on each 12-hour patrol shift will be equipped with a device.
If community members wish to support this effort, they can contact Chief Brannon at (386) 437-7508 or dbrannon@bunnellpd.us
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