Garda cars to be equipped with life-saving gear
Garda cars in two districts are to carry life-saving equipment in a 12-month pilot project.
The First Responder Programme in Blanchardstown and Kilkenny will involve 13 patrol vehicles and 140 specifically-trained Garda officers.
Garda cars will be equipped with automated defibrillators recommended by the Irish Heart Foundation and the American Heart Association.
A Garda spokesman said: “Defibrillation within five minutes of cardiac arrest is a potentially life-saving option for the thousands of Irish people who experience sudden cardiac arrest.
“Survival rates decrease by 10% for every minute from ‘drop to shock’ – the time between cardiac arrest and defibrillation.”
According to the Health Service Executive, heart disease is the single most common cause of death in western societies.
The Garda’s First Responder Programme will be launched this morning at Connolly Hospital, Blanchardstown.
The hospital is a leader in Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) and a centre of excellence in CPR teaching and practice.
The Garda initiative is supported by Connolly Hospital, the HSE Ambulance Service in the East and South East Regions, Dublin Fire Brigade and the Brendan Keating Memorial fund.
