Azusa Police Department and The Technology Depot Team up to Prevent Choking and Save Lives
February 13th, 2025 by admin
Every second counts during a choking emergency! LifeVac is the #1 choking rescue device that saves lives. Chief Rocky Wenrick and the Azusa California Police Department have taken a proactive step in enhancing public safety with their recent purchase of 50 LifeVac devices. LifeVac is a portable, noninvasive airway-clearing device designed to help officers respond quickly and effectively to choking emergencies. It has the potential to save lives when traditional methods like the Heimlich maneuver and back blows do not work.
This initiative underscores Chief Wenrick's commitment to community well-being by equipping his officers with critical tools that can be deployed in life-threatening situations. By providing all patrol vehicles with LifeVac, Azusa officers are better prepared to assist residents, businesses, and visitors in the community during emergencies involving airway obstructions.
As of 02/12/2025, LifeVac has reached an incredible milestone, saving 3,540 precious lives. That is 3,540 families also saved and their communities saved from the heartbreak of a choking death. A child dies from choking in the United States every five days, and 13 adults die each day from choking. More than 100,000 people go to the ER following a choking episode.
The National Safety Council says choking is the fourth leading cause of unintentional death. Food often is responsible for choking incidents in older adults, but choking can occur at any age. It's also a leading cause of accidental death in infants.
Knowing how to handle choking incidents can save lives.
You can prevent choking in adults with these safety measures:
- Cut food into small pieces
- Chew food slowly and thoroughly, especially if wearing dentures
- Don't laugh and talk while chewing and swallowing
- Don't drink alcohol before and during meals
You can prevent choking in children with these safety measures:
- Keep marbles, beads, thumbtacks, latex balloons, stickers, coins, and other small toys and objects out of reach, particularly in children younger than 4
- Prevent children from walking, running, or playing when they have food in their mouths
- Don't feed children younger than age four foods that can easily get lodged in the throat. This includes hot dogs, nuts, chunks of meat or cheese, grapes, hard or sticky candy, popcorn, peanut butter, or raw carrots
- At all times, supervise mealtimes with young children
- Prevent older siblings from giving dangerous food or toys to a young child
- Avoid feeding a child in a car seat
Since 2021, The Technology Depot has ensured that the LifeVac airway clearing devices are available to local schools, police departments, emergency medical services, and the community. "We commend the Azusa Police Department for integrating LifeVac into their community with this purchase and utilizing the provided officer's hands-on training of the LifeVac. It is a tremendous honor to know them and to provide this life-saving technology," said Ginny Dean, President of The Technology Depot.
For more information on LifeVac, contact Ginny Dean at gdean@ttdepot.com
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