Resource CenterAED ImplementationAED State LawsWashington DC

A physician licensed in the District of Columbia shall oversee all aspects of the defibrillation program, including training, coordination with the Fire and Emergency Medical Services Department (“Department”), protocol approval, AED deployment strategies, and equipment maintenance plan, and shall review each case in which the AED is used by the program.

Expected AED users must receive training from and be certified by the American Heart Association, the American Red Cross, or an equivalent state or nationally recognized course, in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (“CPR”) and in the use of an AED, and the users must maintain their certification in CPR and AED use.

Any person or entity who acquires an AED shall notify an agent of the Fire Chief, the EMS Medical Director, and the emergency communications or vehicle dispatch center of the existence of the AED and the Department of the existence, location, and type of AED. If an AED is removed, the Department shall be notified.

The defibrillator must be maintained and tested according to the manufacturer’s operational guidelines, and written records of the maintenance and testing must be maintained. Upon meeting the requirements of subsection (a) of this section, the defibrillation program shall be registered with the Department and the Department shall issue to the defibrillation program a certificate of registration. There shall be a registration fee of $25. The certificate of registration shall expire after 4 years. To renew a certificate of registration, the person or entity shall be required to repeat the application process. If protocol is not followed, the Department may issue a citation, suspend certification, or revoke the certificate of registration.

Any person who uses an AED to provide emergency care or treatment on a person in cardiac arrest shall activate the Department’s emergency medical service system as soon as possible, and shall report any clinical use of the AED to the licensed physician or medical authority. Data on AED use shall be submitted to the Department and reviewed by the Department.

(a) Any person or entity who, in good faith and without compensation, uses an AED to provide emergency care or treatment shall be immune from civil liability for any personal injury resulting from the care or treatment, or resulting from any act or failure to act in providing or arranging further medical treatment, if the person acts as an ordinary, reasonably prudent person would have acted under the same or similar circumstances.
(b) The immunity from civil liability provided under subsection (a) of this section shall extend to the licensed physician or medical authority involved in automated external defibrillator site placement, the person who provides training in CPR and the use of the automated external defibrillator, and the person or entity responsible for the site where the automated external defibrillator is located.
(c) The immunity from civil liability provided under this act shall not apply if the personal injury results from the gross negligence or the willful or wanton misconduct of the person providing the emergency care.
(d) This section expressly excludes from the provision of immunity designers, manufacturers, or sellers of automated external defibrillators who have claims brought against them based upon current District of Columbia law.
(e) A person who, in good faith and without compensation, uses a defibrillator at the scene of an emergency, and all other persons and entities providing services without compensation under this section, shall be immune from civil liability for any personal injury that results from any act or omission in the use of the defibrillator in an emergency situation. This immunity shall apply only if the requirements of section 3 are fulfilled.

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