Squad cars to be equipped with life-saving device

The Oconee Sheriff’s Office will add a medical device to its squad cars that can make the difference between life and death. Sheriff Mike Crenshaw says eight Automated External Defibrillators will be placed in patrol cars to provide medical assistance to people who are in cardiac arrest. Eight deputies, including the patrol division sergeants, are to receive training Wednesday, June 24—after which the medical devices will be in the vehicles and ready for use. Capt. Jeff Underwood of the Uniform Patrol Division, said, “If we (the Sheriff’s Office) arrive dispatched to a cardiac arrest call and arrive prior to paramedics’ arrival, we will have the ability to assess the patient and see if they have a pulse and are conscious. At that time, we can place the pads from the machine onto the patient, which can detect a pulse or lack of a pulse and then deliver, if necessary, a shock to place the heart back into rhythm….”