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Rancho Cucamonga officials highlight AED expansion, 25 devices placed in sheriff patrol units
Summary
City fire and EMS staff told the council the city and sheriff's department have placed 25 automated external defibrillators in patrol units, trained more than 100 deputies, and pointed to improved cardiac-arrest outcomes and PulsePoint outreach as reasons to expand public AED registration.
Sandy Griffin, the city’s EMS coordinator, told the Rancho Cucamonga City Council that the city is expanding public access to automated external defibrillators (AEDs) by placing 25 devices in sheriff patrol units and by urging residents and businesses to register devices in the PulsePoint app.
"Sudden cardiac arrest is not just a medical issue — it's really a community issue," Griffin said, arguing that survival depends on how fast help arrives and how quickly an AED can be used. Patty Eckholt, the fire district's quality-improvement nurse, outlined local data showing improved outcomes over the last five years: return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) increased from about 25% in 2020 to roughly 70% in 2025, and ED delivery with pulses rose from about 30% to 75%.
"We have 151 total cardiac arrests [in 2025], 24 of those we actually shocked out of a very nasty rhythm," Eckholt said, describing one incident in which a gym staff member applied an AED and the patient survived. Captain Joshua Stapleton said the fire district partnered with the sheriff’s department to purchase and deploy 25 AEDs and trained more than 100 deputies and staff at the department’s all-risk training center. He said the 25 AEDs are now mobile in patrol units 24/7.
Stapleton described a prompt field example after deployment: a deputy on foot at the Etiwanda Preserve carried an AED to a trailhead, illustrating immediate operational availability. City staff also emphasized the city's PulsePoint program, which had 2,378 active users in January; staff urged more residents and businesses to add their AEDs to the app so nearby volunteers can be alerted.
Councilmembers responded with questions about the app and applauded the interagency partnership. The presentation closed with a request that businesses and residents register their devices and that community members download PulsePoint to increase the likelihood of rapid bystander response.
The city said the AED placements complement existing AEDs in all city-owned facilities and fire-district vehicles; staff did not announce additional device purchases beyond the 25 placed with the sheriff's department.
