ZOLL Medical Corporation, a manufacturer of medical devices and related software solutions, has announced that the Dubai Police Department has standardized on the ZOLL AED Plus for its fleet of police cars. This is first installation of AEDs in police cars in the Middle East, according to the company.

According to Brigadier Ali Singel, M.D., director of the Dubai Police Health Center, the decision to equip police cars with AEDs was made because they patrol a city of 2 million people around the clock and are usually the first to arrive at the scene of an emergency.

“Having the AEDs more readily available in instances of sudden cardiac arrest provides us with the opportunity to improve survival from a condition that is most often fatal,” said Singel. “We selected the AED Plus because it ensures chest compressions follow the 2010 American Heart Association Guidelines for adequate depth and rate, and for achieving full recoil. Its Real CPR Help feedback guides the rescuer to the correct depth and rate of chest compression. The AED Plus is easy to use and it’s durable, and it has the lowest cost of ownership.”

Mustafa Sharawy, M.D., deputy of Dubai Police Health Center, explained that during Phase 1 of the project, 133 AED Plus units will be distributed among the department’s luxury and high-performance vehicles as well as some of the regular fleet cars. An additional 400 AEDs will be placed in all police vehicles in the near future.

The Dubai police force counts a number of luxury vehicles in its fleet, which are used for their speed in lifesaving emergencies. This includes a Lamborghini Aventador LP 700-4, a Ferrari FF, a Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG, a Bentley Continental GT, a limited edition Aston Martin One-77, a BMW M6 Gran Coupé, and a Bugatti Veyron among others. General duties and patrols are assigned Chevrolet, Toyota, and Nissan vehicles.