title: Automated external defibrillator availability and CPR training among state police agencies in the United States.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Access to automated external defibrillators and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) training are key determinants of cardiac arrest survival. State police officers represent an important class of cardiac arrest first responders responsible for the large network of highways in the United States. We seek to determine accessibility of automated external defibrillators and CPR training among state police agencies.
  
  
  METHODS
  Contact was attempted with all 50 state police agencies by telephone and electronic mail. Officers at each agency were guided to complete a 15-question Internet-based survey. Descriptive statistics of the responses were performed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Attempts were made to contact all 50 states, and 46 surveys were completed (92% response rate). Most surveys were filled out by police leadership or individuals responsible for medical programs. The median agency size was 725 (interquartile range 482 to 1,485) state police officers, with 695 (interquartile range 450 to 1,100) patrol vehicles ("squad cars"). Thirty-three percent of responding agencies (15/46) reported equipping police vehicles with automated external defibrillators. Of these, 53% (8/15) equipped less than half of their fleet with the devices. Regarding emergency medical training, 78% (35/45) of state police agencies reported training their officers in automated external defibrillator usage, and 98% (44/45) reported training them in CPR.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  One third of state police agencies surveyed equipped their vehicles with automated external defibrillators, and among those that did, most equipped only a minority of their fleet. Most state police agencies reported training their officers in automated external defibrillator usage and CPR. Increasing automated external defibrillator deployment among state police represents an important opportunity to improve first responder preparedness for cardiac arrest care.
authors.affiliation: Center for Resuscitation Science and Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
authors.forename: Lior M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Hirsch
authors.forename: Sarah K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Wallace
authors.forename: Marion
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Leary
authors.forename: Kathryn D
authors.initials: KD
authors.lastname: Tucker
authors.forename: Lance B
authors.initials: LB
authors.lastname: Becker
authors.forename: Benjamin S
authors.initials: BS
authors.lastname: Abella
mesh_terms: D016887:Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation / Q000193:education*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D047548:Defibrillators / Q000600:supply & distribution*; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006295:Health Resources / Q000600:supply & distribution*; D006297:Health Services Accessibility / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D016495:Police / Q000193:education* / Q000458:organization & administration; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States