Fort Worth patrol cars are getting a new piece of gear that is a lot more serious than a speed gun. Automated external defibrillators are being rolled into police vehicles citywide after one officer nearly died on duty and was brought back by colleagues using CPR and a defibrillator.
In May 2024, Officer Terrence Parker collapsed at the Bob Bolen Public Safety Complex and went into cardiac arrest. Colleagues jumped in with chest compressions and a wall-mounted defibrillator, and he survived. City officials and health advocates say putting AEDs directly into patrol units should cut the time it takes to start lifesaving treatment for cardiac arrest across Fort Worth.
As reported by CBS Texas, Parker was described as “clinically dead” for about 15 minutes before his coworkers restored a heartbeat. His survival quickly turned into a push inside the department to get portable AEDs into patrol cars. Parker told CBS that the close call convinced him to advocate for the devices, saying that if an AED had not been readily available, he would not be alive today.
Donation Funds Rollout
What The Science Shows
The American Heart Association notes that immediate CPR can double or even triple a cardiac arrest victim’s chance of survival, and that AEDs can quickly restore a shockable rhythm. Advocates regularly cite that evidence when they call for more public access to defibrillators…