They are sworn to serve and to protect, but it was a small medical device that helped a police officer save a man's life on Friday. A first responder with the right tools can be a critical factor in an emergency situation.

"It's a Godsend that we have them,” says La Vista Police Officer Randy Rughe. "He was laying on the ground, on his back, he had a bluish-gray face, the rest of his body was a chalky white, not much movement."

On Friday, a man made an emergency call saying the passenger in his car was in trouble. The 61-year-old Lincoln man had collapsed at a restaurant south of Harrison and I-80.

A short time later, another call went to the La Vista Police Department saying CPR has started. Luckily, they had a defibrillator and were able to shock him and save his life.

It's a situation La Vista Police, along with the fire department, have trained for. Now each unit in the La Vista Police Department carries an AED (automated external defibrillator). They say it's an invaluable tool, one because it's easy to use. "The defibrillator lets us know, it'll either say shock advised or no shock needed.”

But more importantly, in places like La Vista that have a volunteer fire department, police are often the first to respond.

"Us being first responders, we get there first,” says La Vista Police Sgt. J.D. Davis. “We have to make an initial assessment as to what’s going on so when we have a situation where you have an individual who's having some issues, difficulties breathing, no pulse, the AED really comes in handy as a tool for us because that could be the difference in whether a person possibly lives or dies."

The man was revived and taken to Midlands Hospital where he is recovering. He is off ventilators and able to talk with family.