Sudden cardiac arrest is the leading cause of death in the United States today. The American Heart Association estimates that more lives could be saved if Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) were available. The AED is a small portable, user-friendly device that analyzes the heart's rhythm and, if necessary, advises the user to deliver a shock to the victim to restore an effective heart rhythm. The current survival rate from sudden cardiac arrest is only five percent, largely because defibrillators do not reach victims in time.

The City of Carlsbad initiated a program called Operation Heartbeat that put defibrillators in the hands of people most likely to be able to respond first, to a scene of an emergency: the Police. By virtue of random patrols, an officer can almost always arrive at the scene of an emergency before units from fixed locations. When the officer is equipped with a defibrillator and trained to use it, there is a significant reduction in death rates for a person suffering cardiac arrest.

Implementing Operation Heartbeat on July 4, 2002, which is the first AED program in the State of New Mexico, is just one more way Carlsbad Police and Fire protect the well being of the citizens of Carlsbad and our visitors.