FLORENCE, Ariz. – The Pinal County Sheriff’s Office has added twelve more Automatic External Defibrillators (AED) on the road thanks to recent grant funding.

Pictured is the Cardiac Science Power Heart G3 Plus unit now in use thanks to NRA grant funding.

The National Rifle Association (NRA) provided the necessary funding to purchase twelve Cardiac Science Power Heart G3 Plus units after PCSO submitted a formal grant application.

The new units bring the total number of AEDs in the field with patrol deputies to 24.

The 5,369 square miles that make up Pinal County is primarily comprised of unincorporated areas with PCSO deputies providing first responder service for emergency and medical calls. In 2009, Sheriff Paul Babeu required all sworn deputies to take Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) recertification training. When PCSO dispatch receives an emergency call involving a person not breathing, deputies are dispatched and sometimes arrive first on scene due to the large geographical areas; beating medical response. Because the chance of surviving sudden cardiac arrest decreases by 10% with every minute, defibrillation must be administered quickly following a collapse.

Such was the case on June 16, 2011, when Deputy Darin Erickson responded to a call of a 76‐year‐old San Tan Valley man who had stopped breathing. Deputy Erickson arrived within minutes and immediately began performing life saving measures on the victim. After using Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) and one of the donated AEDs, the elderly man began to breathe. He was transported to a local hospital where he made a full recovery.

Sheriff Paul Babeu said, ʺThe NRA has been a strong partner in purchasing life saving equipment for our deputies, directly benefiting our citizens. They have also helped PCSO purchase semi‐automatic rifles for our deputies to ensure that weʹre not out gunned by the cartels smuggling dangerous drugs.”