Senate Bill sb0328er

    ENROLLED

    2005 Legislature                          CS for CS for SB 328



  1                                 

  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; limiting the amount of such grants to

10         amounts specifically appropriated; providing

11         for administrative costs; requiring a law

12         enforcement agency to provide matching funds

13         when making a grant request; providing an

14         exception; providing for priority consideration

15         for certain applications; requiring the

16         department to adopt rules; providing an

17         effective date.

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19         WHEREAS, automated external defibrillators (AEDs) have

20  saved numerous lives in Florida from sudden cardiac arrest,

21  and

22         WHEREAS, currently only 5 percent of sudden cardiac

23  arrest victims survive, and

24         WHEREAS, early defibrillation is critical in saving

25  lives from sudden cardiac arrest, and

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

27  defibrillated within 8 to 10 minutes has little chance of

28  survival, and

29         WHEREAS, even the best emergency medical services

30  systems are often not able to respond to victims of sudden

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    ENROLLED

    2005 Legislature                          CS for CS for SB 328



 1  cardiac arrest within the necessary 4 minutes after collapse,

 2  and

 3         WHEREAS, law enforcement officers who have been

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

 5         WHEREAS, law enforcement officers are frequently first

 6  on the scene in an emergency medical situation, and

 7         WHEREAS, communities have greater numbers of law

 8  enforcement officers than emergency medical service personnel,

 9  and

10         WHEREAS, victims of sudden cardiac arrest have a

11  greater chance of survival in communities where law

12  enforcement officers are equipped with AEDs, and

13         WHEREAS, AEDs allow trained lay rescuers to quickly and

14  safely deliver defibrillation before emergency medical service

15  personnel can arrive, and

16         WHEREAS, law enforcement officers are continuously on

17  patrol and are poised to respond immediately to emergencies,

18  and

19         WHEREAS, equipping law enforcement vehicles with AEDs

20  can save lives, NOW, THEREFORE,

21  

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

23  

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

25  automated external defibrillators (AEDs) in law enforcement

26  vehicles will save lives.

27         (b)  The Legislature further finds that law enforcement

28  officers have an established public role as guardians of

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

30  death from sudden cardiac arrest. Therefore, the Legislature

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    ENROLLED

    2005 Legislature                          CS for CS for SB 328



 1  intends to promote and encourage law enforcement agencies to

 2  equip their vehicles with AEDs.

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

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

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

 6  Enforcement.

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

 8  service provider, including a municipal police department, a

 9  county sheriff's office, and the Florida Highway Patrol.

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

11  unmarked automobile used by a law enforcement agency to serve

12  the community or patrol a specific area.

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

14  provide funds to law enforcement agencies for the purpose of

15  placing AEDs in law enforcement vehicles. Grants awarded by

16  the department shall be limited to amounts specifically

17  appropriated each year for the purposes of this section. The

18  department may spend up to 3 percent of the funds received

19  under this section for administrative costs.

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

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

22  funding when making a grant request.

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

24  community as defined in s. 288.0656, Florida Statutes, which

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

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

27  in order to be considered for funding. The department shall

28  give priority consideration to grant applications from rural

29  law enforcement agencies.

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    ENROLLED

    2005 Legislature                          CS for CS for SB 328



 1         (5)  The department shall adopt rules for administering

 2  the Automated External Defibrillator Grant Program by

 3  September 1, 2005.

 4         Section 2.  This act shall take effect upon becoming a

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