A serious question for Troy residents
If someone in Troy goes into cardiac arrest today, there is no guarantee that the first police officer on scene will have an AED. That’s not speculation, that’s based on how equipment is currently assigned.
According to the department, AEDs (automated external defibrillators) are not permanently assigned to every patrol vehicle. Instead, they are distributed based on availability at the start of each shift. Some officers receive AEDs, while others are assigned different equipment. That means something critical:
The first officer to arrive at a cardiac emergency may or may not have the one piece of equipment that can restart a heart.
And in those situations, every minute matters.
Why This Matters More Than Ever
We all understand how emergency response is supposed to work.
Call 911 → ambulance arrives → care begins.
But in reality, especially lately, (👀 Star EMS) that’s not always what happens. Sometimes/usually, the first person on scene is a police officer, not an ambulance. And when that happens, an AED isn’t just helpful, it can be the difference between life and death. Brain damage can begin within minutes during cardiac arrest. Survival rates drop significantly with every passing minute without defibrillation.
So this isn’t a theoretical issue. It’s a real-world gap in lifesaving capability.
A Simple Question of Priorities
This brings us to a straightforward, uncomfortable question: If funding exists, what should come first?
We’ve been told that the city has access to funding sources, including forfeiture funds, that can be used for equipment and public safety-related purchases. At the same time, we’re seeing discussions, and reports, that money is being allocated toward a $99,000 customized Ford Bronco for “community engagement.” Coming from a Mayor who spends more time on Roop Raj than actually prioritizing public safety, whether it’s AEDs, Firefighter pensions, actually holding EMS contractors accountable and getting and giving us response time data… we shouldn’t be shocked. But we are.
Let’s be clear: Community engagement matters.
But let’s also be honest:
Community engagement doesn’t restart a heart. AEDs do.
So if there is funding available for non-emergency equipment, it is entirely reasonable for residents to ask:
Why isn’t lifesaving equipment guaranteed in every patrol vehicle first?
Before anything else.
What Are We Really Prioritizing?
I think the citizens and workers of Troy deserve a clear answer from the Mayor and City Council: Why would a luxury Bronco be prioritized over AEDs in every police vehicle?
Public safety is about safety. And unless that Bronco comes equipped with an AED, and is somehow the fastest, most reliable way to deliver lifesaving care, there is no realistic scenario where it should come before ensuring that every responding officer has the tools to save a life.
This isn’t about optics. It’s about outcomes. Because when someone collapses in cardiac arrest, there’s no version of reality where a “community engagement vehicle” saves them.
An AED might.
Compounding the Concern: EMS Availability
This issue doesn’t exist in a vacuum. There are ongoing concerns about ambulance availability and response times under the current EMS system. If an ambulance isn’t immediately available in Troy when a call comes in, and a police officer arrives first, then the presence or absence of an AED becomes even more critical.
Which raises an even broader question: If this is the system we’re operating under, shouldn’t we be maximizing the lifesaving capabilities of every first responder?
That includes not just police vehicles, but potentially fire apparatus as well.
This Is Not About Blame
To be absolutely clear: This is not a criticism of Troy police officers. They do an incredible job and respond to emergencies every day with the equipment they’re given. This is about something else entirely:
Making sure they have what they need when seconds matter most.
Because “depending on availability” should never be the answer when someone’s life is on the line.
The Real Choice
So here’s the question for Troy residents: If the city has $100,000 available, what should it be used for?
- A $99,000 Ford Bronco for “community engagement”
or - AEDs in every police vehicle, ensuring that lifesaving equipment is always available when officers arrive first on scene
Community engagement vehicles are nice.
Saving a life is better.
Where Do We Go From Here?
This isn’t about politics. It’s about priorities. It’s about transparency.
And it’s about making sure that when a resident calls 911 in the worst moment of their life, the person who shows up first has every possible tool to help them survive. Because in that moment, nothing else matters.
Final Question
Troy residents deserve an answer:
Why aren’t AEDs guaranteed in every police car, before anything else?
And more importantly:
What are we choosing to prioritize instead?