MANATEE COUNTY, Fla. (WFLA) — The Manatee County Sheriff’s Office is rolling out new lifesaving equipment. The agency has 500 new automated external defibrillators or AEDs that will soon be in patrol vehicles and sheriff’s office facilities countywide.
Deputy Josh Escher is the agency’s law enforcement training coordinator. He explained that MCSO has been using AEDs for the last decade or so, but those devices have met their lifespan.
WATCH: Tampa firefighters demonstrate dangers of frying turkeys
“It was time to venture out and look at what is new on the market with the technology that is available. We vetted four or five different AED models, looking into what they had to offer and what would be best for the agency and for the county,” Escher said.
He said what they settled on is a top-of-the-line AED. It is more powerful than previous models and will give patients better outcomes in an emergency situation. The new devices are able to deliver a shock up to 35 seconds faster than previous models…