Tactical

Oconee County Sheriff's Office to Equip Patrol Cars with Powerheart G5 AEDs

July 14, 2015

Next-Generation AED to Assist Public Safety First Responders in Fighting Sudden Cardiac Arrest

WAUKESHA, Wis., July 9, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Cardiac Science announced today that theOconee County (South Carolina) Sheriff's Office will be the first U.S. public safety agency to equip patrol vehicles with the new Powerheart® G5 automated external defibrillator (AED).

The Powerheart G5 is the first FDA-cleared AED to offer a combination of automatic shock delivery, dual-language functionality, variable escalating energy, and rapid shock times. Cardiac Science designed the Powerheart G5 to enable anyone, from a first-time user to a professional rescuer, to respond to a sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) incident.

"We're here for public safety, and getting AEDs is just one more step in providing our officers with tools to help save lives," said Captain Jeff Underwood of the Sheriff's Office Uniform Patrol Division. Their new Powerheart G5 units are scheduled for deployment this summer.

Oconee County covers 674 square miles in Western South Carolina near the Georgia border. Much of the county is rural and filled with lakes used for sport fishing, water skiing, sailing, swimming, and other outdoor activities. The population of 75,000 includes a large percentage of retirees.

The county's initial order of eight Powerheart G5s will equip patrol vehicles assigned to the areas where deputies are most likely to arrive in advance of an ambulance, Captain Underwood said. Deputies are the first responders in more than 60 percent of the county's cardiac arrest incidents.

"Anywhere large numbers of people gather, particularly where they are engaged in sports and strenuous activities, it's essential to have AEDs readily available," said Al Ford, Cardiac Science General Manager and Senior Vice President of Sales / Marketing. "The new Powerheart G5 AED makes it possible for first responders like police officers to begin a rescue within a minute of arriving at the scene."

All 35 Oconee County patrol officers will take CPR training this month, using an American Heart Association program administered by Emergency Medical Services personnel. Cardiac Science AED specialist Jason Hilemn will conduct additional training on use of the AED units.

According to Captain Underwood, the fact that the Powerheart AED G5 has bilingual capabilities and can be programmed to give rescue prompts in Spanish was a factor in the purchase. He added that the Sheriff's Office goal is to equip all patrol cars with AEDs.

The Powerheart G5 conducts daily, weekly, and monthly self-tests and has a highly visible indicator to confirm the device's Rescue Ready^® status. It comes with an 8-year warranty and a 4-year performance guarantee on its Intellisense^® medical-grade non-rechargeable batteries.

About Cardiac Science

Cardiac Science, a group company of Opto Circuits (India) Ltd., develops, manufactures, and markets automated external defibrillators (AED) and provides a portfolio of training, maintenance, and support services for AEDs. Cardiac Science is headquartered in Waukesha, Wisconsin. With customers in almost 100 countries worldwide, the company has operations inNorth America, Europe, and Asia. For information, call 1.800.426.0337 or visit http://www.cardiacscience.com.