Andronico's Community Markets Partners with the San Francisco Police Department to Save Lives
Andronico's Community Markets matches donations for the SFPD Adopt-A-Police-Car program to equip every S.F. patrol car with a life-saving Automated External Defibrillator unit (AED). This program has been implemented in states across the country.
Online, June 13, 2013 (Newswire.com) - Andronico's Community Market's San Francisco store located at 1200 Irving Street is participating in the San Francisco Police Department's Adopt-A-Police-Car program that aims to equip every S.F. patrol car with a life-saving Automated External Defibrillator unit (AED). Customers can contribute $2, $5 or more at checkout and Andronico's Community Markets will match the donation dollar for dollar towards the $1,875 cost for each unit. This device is crucial for saving victims of sudden cardiac arrest (SCA). Chances of survival greatly increase the sooner treatment with the AED is administered.
Executive Director of Marketing for Andronico's Markets Jonathan Packman says that "the program is off to a great start," noting that customer response has been significant with $980 in customer donations within the first three days of the campaign.
Sudden cardiac arrest is one of the leading causes of death in the U.S., claiming an estimated 325,000 lives annually.¹ That's more than lives lost from breast and prostate cancer, AIDs, traffic accidents, firearms, and house fires combined.² SCA can happen to anyone, anywhere, of any age, at any time.
The only definitive treatment for SCA is a shock from an AED. For every minute that passes without CPR and defibrillation, the chance of survival decreases by 7-10 percent.³ Since San Francisco police officers are out patrolling streets 24 hours a day, they're often first on the scene of medical emergencies. And they have the potential to help save the life of someone suffering from SCA - if their cruisers are equipped with AEDs.
¹ Heart Rhythm Foundation website (link to http://www.heartrhythmfoundation.org/facts/scd.asp)
²Sudden Cardiac Arrest Foundation (link to www.sca-aware.org/for-the-media)
³ American Heart Association Online, "Sudden Cardiac Arrest Advocacy," (updated 16 Nov. 2010), http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/Advocate/IssuesandCampaigns/Sudden-Cardiac-Arrest---Advocacy_UCM_312652_Article.jsp (accessed 14 Dec. 2010).
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