The odds of helping to save a life have now increased due to Rural Metro Ambulance's generosity. Baird said Rural Metro responds to about 200 cardiac-related calls per year in the Abilene area.
Ambulances already carry more advanced, multi-usage defibrillators.
They can respond quicker. The sooner a cardiac patient is defibrillated, the higher his or her chances of survival, Baird said. You have no heart beat. You wont' be breathing. The AEDs, using a computer-generated speaker voice, actually walks the responder through the process, telling them what to and when to do it, Baird said.