Councilman Mark Kersey is scheduled to announce Friday new funding to place automated external defibrillators in patrol vehicles serving the San Diego Police Department's Northeastern Division.
Kersey plans to spend $7,500 from his office's Community Projects, Programs and Services fund to get five AEDs into vehicles this year.
The portable AED provides electrical stimulation to a person in cardiac distress in order to return the heartbeat to a normal rhythm. February is American Heart Month.
"Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States,'' Kersey said. "It only makes sense that our police officers — who are often the first to arrive in an emergency — are equipped with a tool that is proven to save lives.''
The councilman plans to purchase five of the devices annually until all 15 patrol cars, four sergeant's vehicles in the Northeastern Division and the station itself are outfitted.
The division serves around 234,000 people over nearly 104 square miles, encompassing Carmel Mountain, Miramar, Mira Mesa, Rancho Bernardo, Rancho Penasquitos, Sabre Springs and Scripps Ranch.
