$6.9M grant aims to put defibrillators in all police vehicles in Nevada

An almost $7 million grant from a charitable trust will be used to put a life-saving automated external defibrillator in every law enforcement vehicle in Nevada, officials said in an announcement.

The $6.9 million grant from the Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust will be used to buy more than 3,000 AEDs, according to a joint statement from the trust and the Nevada Department of Health and Human Services.

“Law enforcement officers are often the first on scene to medical emergencies, and AEDs should be applied within the first three to five minutes of a cardiac arrest to ensure the best possible outcome,” the statement said.

Over the next three years, the AEDs will be placed in all law enforcement vehicles in the state, with officers getting trained in their use so that if police arrive at a scene before paramedics, police can get to work trying to save the cardiac patient with the AED.

“With these devices being placed in the vehicles of first responders who are trained to use them, Nevada’s citizens will have an extra layer of security when they call for help,” Gov. Steve Sisolak said in the statement.

Contact Brett Clarkson at bclarkson@reviewjournal.com or 561-324-6421. Follow @BrettClarkson on Twitter.