PHILIPS MEDICAL - AED PROJECT
In 2006, the Seattle Police Department (SPD) and the Seattle Police Foundation (SPF) announced a collaboration that resulted in full deployment of life-saving equipment in SPD patrol cars. Forged between the SPF, Philips Medical Systems, private citizens Craig and Julie Tall, and the American Heart Association, the collaboration made SPD the first major-city police department to have AEDs in all patrol cars.
According to the American Heart Association, sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) is one of the leading causes of death in the United States, striking an estimated 335,000 people each year or about 918 people each day. SCA can strike anyone, at any time, anywhere. Defibrillation is recognized as the definitive treatment for ventricular fibrillation, the abnormal heart rhythm most often associated with SCA. While CPR may help prolong the window of survival, it cannot restore a normal cardiac rhythm. For every minute that goes by without defibrillation, a cardiac arrest victim’s chances of survival decrease by about 10 percent. After 10 minutes without defibrillation, few attempts at resuscitation are successful.
One of the most important ways the Police Foundation assists the Seattle Police Department in its mission of excellence is by supporting new and innovative projects that help enhance the safety of officers and the community. The AED project was the largest project upon implementation for the 5-year-old Seattle Police Foundation.
The project was possible due to the generosity of Craig and Julie Tall, who personally donated $100,000, and Philips donation of over half of the needed devices-totaling more than $375,000. SPF funded the remainder of the $650,000 project.
“Full deployment of AEDs in our police patrol cars will enhance the safety of the Seattle community as well as the police officers themselves. We are so appreciative to Craig and Julie Tall, Philips and the Seattle Police Foundation. A project of this magnitude would not have happened without them,” said Chief Gil Kerlikowske.
"Julie and I are devoted to improving the health of the human family--through our contributions to the Regional Heart Center at the University of Washington, through involvement and support of the American Heart Association and through Julie's position as Board Chair at Bastyr University (a leader in advancing natural medicine). We believe in an integrated approach to improving health and our contribution to this unique partnership with the Seattle Police Department and Philips Medical Systems is a further way to demonstrate support for all types of medicine.
The Seattle Police Department is forward thinking and deserving of our support and we appreciate the opportunity to partner with them, the Seattle Police Foundation, Philips and the American Heart Association. Since the onset of my own heart health issues, I have been committed to assisting people with life threatening heart issues, particularly sudden cardiac arrest. The full deployment of AED's in all of Seattle's 225 cars will help save lives and improve the health of our community now and for many years to come." said Craig Tall
“ The Seattle Police Foundation is proud to have provided the leadership and part of the financial support in making this exciting program possible. While we don’t know when, we do know that lives will be saved as a result of this partnership.” said Michael J. Malone, chairman of the Foundation.
“Because Philips HeartStart defibrillators are designed and manufactured in Seattle, we are especially pleased to have been chosen as the supplier of AEDs to the Seattle Police Department,” said Michael Miller, senior vice president, Cardiac Care for Philips Medical Systems. “We applaud the Seattle Police Foundation for its dedication to our police officers, and for bringing our community together to fund the AED program.”
“When sudden cardiac arrest occurs outside the hospital setting, most victims die because CPR and defibrillation are not provided soon enough. Having AEDs in patrol cars greatly strengthens the chain of survival, and if we all took it upon ourselves to learn bystander CPR we’d have an even safer community,” said Dr. Stephen Anderson, M.D., regional faculty for the American Heart Association’s Emergency Cardiovascular Care division.
