Every Gilbert Police Department police officer will be equipped with an automatic external defibrillator while on patrol, the town announced. 

The announcement comes with June 1-7 designated as CPR and AED Awareness week, 

Gilbert PD purchased 92 fully automatic dual language AEDs, which also offer guided on-screen CPR feedback of the depth and rate of compression needed when in use.  

According to National Institutes of Health, cardiac arrest occurs when the heart suddenly stops pumping. The NIH estimates that between 300,000 to 450,000 deaths occur annually in the United States as a result of cardiac arrest.  

With police officers often the first at the scene of medical emergencies, having AEDs readily available can be the difference in increasing a person’s chance of survival while awaiting the arrival of emergency medical services, the town said in a release. 

“Gilbert PD recognizes the need to provide a rapid response to cardiac emergencies," Gilbert Police Chief Michael Soelberg said in the release. "Our AED program will provide the necessary equipment for our officers to provide lifesaving assistance until the Gilbert Fire & Rescue Department arrives. I want to thank Brandon Griffith, with Griffith Blue Heart, for his assistance in developing our AED program."