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The Tyrrell County Sheriff’s Office recently purchased four Zoll Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs), and patrol vehicles are now equipped with the devices.

An AED is a lightweight portable device that allows deputies to treat individuals experiencing sudden cardiac arrest by delivering a shock to the victim’s heart.

The sheriff’s office purchased the four new state-of-the-art digital AEDs,  which cost approximately $1,325 each, through a $5,000 grant from Vidant Chowan Hospital Foundation in Edenton.

Deputy Treven Franks coordinated the grant process on the AEDs. He knew the department didn’t have enough money in the budget to buy AEDs, so he did some quick research and applied for a safety grant through the Vidant Chowan Hospital Foundation.

According to statistics from the National Safety Council, quick access to an AED could increase a victim’s chances of survival from about 5% to 40% and higher, while  cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is only 2% to 18% effective. Tyrrell sheriff’s deputies normally respond to calls about people in cardiac arrest and those who are unresponsive.