The City of Pittsburgh announced a life-saving initiative Tuesday. A pilot program, which will give public access to defibrillators, will be initiated this year. The units will be available for quick use and can be operated by a layperson. City officials hope to have the AEDs available in each of the 88 neighborhoods. Sudden cardiac arrest kills 350,000 people in the United States each year.
Defibrillation is the electric shock applied to restart a non-beating heart.
Mayor Tom Murphy announced the program in partnership with the American Heart Assn., UPMC Health System and the City's Bureau of Emergency Medical Services. Copyright 2000 by ThePittsburghChannel. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Information about privacy policy , terms of use and our ad policy .