The Dunwoody Police Department will soon be equipped with automated external defibrillators in its patrol cars thanks to the efforts of a Dunwoody resident.

Dunwoody Planning Commission member Bob Lundsten has ordered 47 AEDs for the city, one for each of Dunwoody’s 42 patrol cars with the rest for Dunwoody City Hall.

Earlier this year Lundsten formed The Heart of Dunwoody, a non-profit organization with the goal of raising $75,000 to purchase the defibrillators.

“The response has been truly overwhelming,” Lundsten said in a telephone interview last week.

As of last week Lundsten said the organization has raised about $40,000.

Lundsten said he has worked out a deal with Philips Electronics to purchase 30 AEDs with the $40,000 and receive 17 loaner machines.

As more donations come in The Heart of Dunwoody will purchase new AEDs to replace the loaner machines.

Any funds left over from the $75,000 will be donated to another charitable organization Lundsten said.

“I’m 100 percent confident we can raise the rest of the money,” Lundsten said. “We expect to have [the AEDs] in the hands of Dunwoody police by the second week in September. That isn’t bad. We started in the summer and they will have them in the fall. I’m pretty happy about that.”

Lundsten began the effort after his wife, Kathy, was struck by sudden cardiac arrest 10 years ago during a volleyball match at a school in Cobb County. No AED was available and about 10 minutes passed before medical personnel arrived — putting her at serious risk of permanent damage.

Information: contact Bob Lundsten at boblundsten@gmail.com.