Opto Circuits’ group company, Cardiac Science Corporation, will supply Powerheart G3 AEDs to all Chicago-area Metra commuter trains and other Metra facilities by the end of January.

Under the terms of the agreement, Cardiac Science will deploy 440 AEDs in Metra passenger cars, work facilities, and police vehicles. It has also donated 30 AEDs to Metra. The deployment was made possible with a grant from the Regional Transportation Authority, sponsorship of Northwestern Medicine, and support of Illinois Governor Patrick Quinn.

Metra recorded nearly 82.7 million passenger trips in 2011, and is now the second transit system in the US to deploy AEDs on all of its trains.

“We are honoured that Metra chose Cardiac Science to be the AED provider in its public access defibrillator (PAD) programme. Allowing passengers, workers, and emergency personnel with easy access to defibrillators will combat sudden cardiac arrest and save lives,” said Neal Long, president and chief executive officer, Cardiac Science.

At a press conference at a downtown Chicago Metra station on December 27, Governor Quinn further underscored the importance of AEDs. “Having AEDs readily available on Metra cars will save lives. By being prepared, we can be ready to respond swiftly and safely in the unfortunate event of a medical emergency. By working together, we can get these critical devices in public spaces everywhere,” Governor Quinn said.

Governor Quinn signed the Good Samaritan Act into law in 2011 to provide Good Samaritan coverage for anyone who has successfully completed American Heart Association or American Red Cross AED training. It protects trained AED users from liability as long as they act in good faith.

“Some of the transport hubs in India that have deployed the Powerheart G3 AEDs are Bengaluru and New Delhi apart from Bengaluru International Airport and Cochin International Airport. We hope to make various other transport hubs Heart-safe,” said Vinod Ramnani, CMD, Opto Circuits (India) Limited.