Senate Bill sb0328

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    Florida Senate - 2005                                   SB 328

    By Senator Fasano





    11-281-05

  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to automated external

  3         defibrillators in law enforcement vehicles;

  4         providing legislative findings and intent;

  5         providing definitions; requiring the Department

  6         of Law Enforcement to administer a grant

  7         program to fund the placement of automated

  8         external defibrillators in law enforcement

  9         vehicles; requiring a law enforcement agency to

10         provide matching funds when making a grant

11         request; requiring the department to adopt

12         rules; providing an appropriation; providing

13         for unused funds to be carried over for a

14         specified period; providing an effective date.

15  

16         WHEREAS, automated external defibrillators (AEDs) have

17  saved numerous people in this state from sudden cardiac

18  arrest, and

19         WHEREAS, only 5 percent of sudden cardiac arrest

20  victims currently survive, and

21         WHEREAS, early defibrillation is critical in saving

22  victims of sudden cardiac arrest, and

23         WHEREAS, a victim of sudden cardiac arrest who is not

24  defibrillated within 8 to 10 minutes has little chance of

25  survival, and

26         WHEREAS, even the best emergency medical providers are

27  often unable to respond to victims of sudden cardiac arrest

28  within the necessary 4 minutes after collapse, and

29         WHEREAS, law enforcement officers who have been

30  equipped with AEDs in their cars have saved lives, and

31  

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    Florida Senate - 2005                                   SB 328
    11-281-05




 1         WHEREAS, law enforcement officers are frequently the

 2  first responders to an emergency medical situation, and

 3         WHEREAS, communities have greater numbers of law

 4  enforcement officers than emergency medical personnel, and

 5         WHEREAS, victims of sudden cardiac arrest have a

 6  greater chance of survival in communities where law

 7  enforcement vehicles are equipped with AEDs, and

 8         WHEREAS, AEDs allow trained law enforcement officers to

 9  quickly and safely deliver defibrillation before emergency

10  medical personnel can arrive, and

11         WHEREAS, law enforcement officers are continuously on

12  patrol and are poised to respond immediately to emergencies,

13  and

14         WHEREAS, equipping law enforcement vehicles with AEDs

15  can save lives, NOW, THEREFORE,

16  

17  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:

18  

19         Section 1.  (1)(a)  The Legislature finds that placing

20  automated external defibrillators (AEDs) in law enforcement

21  vehicles will save lives.

22         (b)  The Legislature further finds that law enforcement

23  officers have an established public role as guardians of

24  public safety and are in a unique position to help reduce

25  death from sudden cardiac arrest. Therefore, the Legislature

26  intends to promote and encourage law enforcement agencies to

27  equip their vehicles with AEDs.

28         (2)  As used in this section, the term:

29         (a)  "AED" means an automated external defibrillator.

30         (b)  "Department" means the Department of Law

31  Enforcement.

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    Florida Senate - 2005                                   SB 328
    11-281-05




 1         (c)  "Law enforcement agency" means any law enforcement

 2  service provider, including a police department, a sheriff's

 3  office, and the Florida Highway Patrol.

 4         (d)  "Law enforcement vehicle" means any marked or

 5  unmarked automobile used by a law enforcement officer or the

 6  Florida Highway Patrol to serve the community or patrol a

 7  specific area.

 8         (3)  The department shall administer a grant program to

 9  provide funds to law enforcement agencies for the purpose of

10  placing AEDs in law enforcement vehicles.

11         (4)(a)  A law enforcement agency shall provide matching

12  funds of at least 25 percent in order to be considered for

13  funding when making a grant request.

14         (b)  A law enforcement agency that serves a rural

15  community as defined in section 288.0656, Florida Statutes,

16  which requests a grant is not required to provide a 25-percent

17  match, but must provide matching funds of at least 10 percent

18  in order to be considered for funding.

19         (5)  The department shall adopt rules for administering

20  the AED grant program by September 1, 2005.

21         Section 2.  (1)  The sum of $4.8 million is

22  appropriated from the General Revenue Fund to the Department

23  of Law Enforcement for the purpose of implementing a

24  competitive grant program during the 2005-2006 fiscal year for

25  placing AEDs in law enforcement vehicles.

26         (2)  The department shall carryover any unused funds

27  from the 2005-2006 fiscal year for a period not to exceed 2

28  years for the purpose of distributing any remaining funds to

29  law enforcement agencies through the AED grant program.

30         Section 3.  This act shall take effect upon becoming a

31  law.

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    Florida Senate - 2005                                   SB 328
    11-281-05




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 2                          SENATE SUMMARY

 3    Provides funding to the Department of Law Enforcement for
      a grant program to equip law enforcement vehicles with
 4    automated external defibrillators. Provides criteria for
      a law enforcement agency to make a grant request.
 5    Requires the department to adopt rules.

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