PENDLETON — The Pendleton Fire Department is leading an effort looking to make Umatilla County a heart healthy community, one defibrillator at a time.

Pendleton Fire Chief Jim Critchley said October was National Sudden Cardiac Arrest Month, so he decided to partner with the county’s other fire departments and districts to build a county-wide defibrillator database. Over the course of the month, Critchley said they identified 45 defibrillators across the county.

Automated external defibrillators, also known as AEDs, work by sending electric pulses to a heart to restore its normal heartbeat, according to the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute. Besides hospitals and first responders, Critchley said, defibrillators can be found at large retailers, restaurants, churches, schools and other places where the public gathers.

Creating a database of defibrillators can allow bystanders to find one of the devices an assist someone suffering from a cardiac event in the minutes before paramedics arrive. Critchley said his department responded to 54 cardiac events last year and having people equipped with defibrillators could ensure local residents survive such events more often.

After local emergency services identify as many defibrillators as possible, Critchley said the next step is to document all the defibrillators on PulsePoint, an app that connects people trained in CPR with people suffering from a heart attack or another cardiac event. If public defibrillators are documented on the app, the program can notify the person administering the aid where they can find one.

Critchley said local fire departments still are accepting notifications about available defibrillators. Residents can provide information about defibrillators by contacting Critchley at 541-276-1442.