Plant City Police Department receives donation of new AED units

The Plant City Rotary Club donated 52 automated external defibrillators (AED) units to the police department on Monday.

The brand-new units with the latest technology will now go in every patrol car, replacing older ones the department previously used.

"The fact that we can put an AED in every patrol car and replace the ones that we have, that's fantastic. So, we're driving around patrolling the city all day. And when the call comes out, we don't have to get up and go, we're already in the car, so we can respond very quickly," Plant City Police Chief James Bradford said.

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That response time is critical, because research shows 9 in 10 cardiac arrest victims who receive a shock from an AED in the first minute live. Giving that additional support to the police department is why the Rotary Club worked to provide the donation.

"Oftentimes, obviously, our police and fire rescue are first on scene, but that's not always the case. We want to make sure that our officers are equipped with the technology, lifesaving technology in the event that something like that occurs," Mayor Nate Kilton said.

The new units are valued at $92,000. The rotary club says it started fundraising efforts last year for the donation.

As part of annual training, the entire police department will be trained on the new AEDs this week.