SAN FRANCISCO, CA--When San Francisco police officers come across a person on the street without a pulse, they can start CPR, call an ambulance, hope for the best.
But soon some of them will be able to do something more to try to save that life.
An innovative program will pair local businesses with a police patrol car and pay for a cardiac defibrillator. The hope is that with a little help from merchants, all 320 SFPD cars can be outfitted with the devices, technically known as automated external defibrillators or AEDs.
The idea makes perfect sense. Cops are almost always the first on the scene, and with cardiac arrest, every second counts.
"This is a time-sensitive device," says Ben Dorcy, a paramedic who trains officers at the city's police academy. "If you use it within 10 minutes, you are good. If you use it within four minutes, you are excellent. It's a no-brainer."
The first business to chip in is John's Grill, one of our local landmark restaurants. On Friday, owner John Konstin will pony up about $20,000 that will pay for 10 AEDs to be used by the Tenderloin Station.
Although large firms, like Walgreens, have donated money for more devices across the city, Capt. David Lazar of the city's police academy sees the benefits of a local merchant making a statement.
"This is a big splash," Lazar said. "This was really the whole idea in the first place, that people would donate and they would be acknowledged."
"Hopefully," says Konstin, "other businesses will follow and do other stations."
SOURCE: C.W. Nevius, San Francisco Chronicle