The heart saviors: UWPD now has lifesaving defibrillators

By Steve Hill
University Week

UW Police Detective Roy May displays one of the department's new automated external defibrillators

A simple machine no bigger than a laptop computer now sits in UW Police Department squad cars. Before long, it could save a life.

The central administration recently purchased 10 automated external defibrillators (AEDs) for UW police officers to have on hand when they're patrolling campus. The machines - a variation of the paddles used in hospitals and those seen on television dramas like ER - provide a shock to the heart that can revive a person from sudden cardiac arrest.

“I'm glad we have them and I'm glad we have the opportunity to provide this service so quickly,” said UWPD Patrol Captain Steve Robinson. “Every minute that goes by without a shock, survival rates decline by 10 percent.”

A timely response, then, is critical. According to Redmond-based manufacturer, Medtronic, 50 percent of cardiac arrest victims could be resuscitated if they were shocked with a defibrillator within seven minutes. But if they wait 10 minutes, survival rates are less than 10 percent.

Generally UW officers are the first on scene at a campus cardiac arrest. But all they've been able to do in the past was perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation until units from the Seattle Fire Department arrived. Now, Robinson says, the UW department is better equipped to make a difference.

“CPR keeps the status quo,” he said. “We've always done CPR on people. We've done that and we're good at it. But that's all we've been able to do.”

Roy May, who has been training UW officers in CPR since the 1970s, is confident the machines and a well-educated staff will soon make a difference.

“It's very likely that we'll use this machine before the end of the academic year,” he said.

May has already trained about 30 officers and expects to have almost 50 employees in the department up to speed eventually. Training, he said, takes less than two hours and is now a part of the regular CPR instruction that officers attend once each year.

Using the device is simple. After determining someone is in cardiac arrest a shock can be delivered within 20 or 30 seconds, May said. First, adhesive electrodes are attached to the patient's chest. The machine then monitors the heartbeat and determines if a shock is necessary. The machine speaks and displays instructions on an LED screen.

If a shock is necessary, it's as simple as pressing a button. If a shock isn't needed, the button is deactivated. Some studies have shown that a 6-year-old can effectively use the device.

The machines cost $1,900 each, a bill UW administrators were happy to pay.

“UWPD having the defibrillators and expanded training are crucial to providing the University community with a higher level of response for people experiencing cardiac arrest,” said Executive Vice President Weldon Ihrig. “Saving even one life will be well worth the investment.”

In addition to the eight AEDs available in squad cars, two will be kept on hand at the department. They will be available for officers working at large events on campus.