Fifty portable defibrillators have been added to Los Angeles Port Police patrol and specialty vehicles, expanding a program that previously put the devices at select locations around the harbor area, port officials announced Monday.
“When someone has suffered a sudden cardiac arrest or is non-responsive for other reasons, quick access to a defribrillator can mean the difference between life and death,” said Port Police Chief Tom Gazsi. “Our officers now have life-changing equipment right in their vehicles, which provides an added measure of readiness to our Port community, workers and employees, as well as residents and visitors.”
All port police officers and staff receive regular training every two years on automated external defibrillators, CPR and first-aid, officials said.
The defibrillator is a portable device that delivers an electric shock through the chest to the heart and is often used to revive unconscious or non-responsive individuals who are experiencing a cardiac event.
Defibrillators were installed in 2012 at various locations around the port, including the World Cruise Center Terminal, the USS Iowa and the Port Pilot Station.