Plant City residents and visitors are a bit safer thanks to Plant City Rotary Club. The organization donated 52 LifePak 1000 automated external defibrillator (AED) units, valued at $92,000, to Plant City Police Department (PCPD). The gift means that every officer will have a life-saving AED on-hand in their patrol vehicle in the event of a medical emergency.
AED devices can check a person’s heart rhythm, recognize a rhythm that requires a shock, advise the rescuer when a shock is needed and using voice prompts, tell the rescuer the steps to take to shock the heart of a person experiencing sudden cardiac arrest back into rhythm. All officers will be trained to correctly use the device.
“I don’t know how to thank the Plant City Rotary Club for their donation which will no doubt save lives,” said Chief James Bradford. “We are grateful for the support of our community and look forward to distributing these life-saving devices to all of our personnel so they can better protect and serve the community.”
When medical emergencies occur, police officers usually have a quicker response time than Plant City Fire Rescue because they’re already patrolling the city’s streets. Even though the difference between the two department’s response times is approximately one minute, that minute can mean the difference between life and death. According to The Sudden Cardiac Arrest Foundation, every minute CPR isn’t initiated or an AED isn’t utilized, the chance of survival decreases by seven to 10 percent. “We want to get there and provide lifesaving measures so we can hand them off to the fire department,” said Bradford. “We’re just so grateful for this generous, generous donation.”
Plant City Rotary Club, whose motto is ‘Service Above Self’, hosts several fundraisers every year which generates more than $200,000, which it pours back into the community. Club member Mayor Nate Kilton said the donation aligns well with City Hall’s goals which first and foremost is public safety. “Plant City Rotary Club is so appreciative of the work you do, you don’t have a job, you have a calling and we’ll always be here to support you because you can have a positive impact on people every day,” he said. “I hope you never have to use these but if you do have to use them it’ll mean you’re saving someone’s life.”
Rotary Club President Shawn Jemison said the organization does all they can for the community. “To give these devices to the police department was a no-brainer,” he said.