Haverhill, Methuen, Lawrence and several area towns were formally awarded state grants Tuesday to equip fire trucks and other public safety vehicles with Automated External Defibrillators.
Haverhill received $1,475, while Methuen was awarded $1,972 and Lawrence, $1,450. Awarded grants in surrounding towns were Groveland Police, $1,348 and North Andover Fire, $2,500.
“Our administration remains committed to making sure local public safety officials have the tools they need to save lives,” Gov. Charlie Baker said in a release. “Providing first responders with immediate access to an AED will improve cardiac patient care and improve emergency response. We thank our partners in the Legislature for their support of this program.”
An Automated External Defibrillator is a medical device used to support people experiencing sudden cardiac arrest, which is the abrupt loss of heart function in a person who may or may not have been diagnosed with heart disease. An AED analyzes the patient’s heart rhythm and, if necessary, delivers an electrical shock, or defibrillation, to help the heart re-establish an effective rhythm. A study from the American Heart Association found that 350,000 people suffer sudden cardiac arrest outside of the hospital every year in the U.S.