Implement

Implement

How to Implement Your AED Program

Tap into these helpful resources to establish a program for your gathering place

AED Brands has made it our mission to make sure that automated external defibrillators (AEDs) are affordable and accessible to all. We also want to provide as much information about sudden cardiac arrest and AEDs as possible. That is why we made the AED Resource Center available at no cost, and why we included a section on AED Program Implementation.

Sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) has become a leading cause of death in the United States; it is estimated that over 1,000 people die each day from SCA. However, sudden cardiac death needn’t be the inevitable outcome of every SCA. If each sudden cardiac arrest victim were treated within a three to five minute window with an automated external defibrillator, the chances of the victim’s survival could increase to as high as 48 to 74 percent. In a sudden cardiac arrest, the victim’s heart stops beating, AEDs are the only way to get the heart restarted. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), while important, cannot do that. Quick and easy access to an AED is necessary to save an SCA victim’s life.

So, where should you begin? First, we recommend that you look at the AED State Laws section where you can view your state’s AED laws and regulations to find out what is required and who is protected during an AED rescue. The state laws and regulations are intended to save as many lives as possible from sudden cardiac death. Visit your state’s page and become familiar with what is required.

Once you understand what is necessary and required in your state, you will want to visit the Developing an AED Program page. This section includes policies and procedures necessary to use employees in your organization as trained medical emergency responders. These policies and procedures are used to establish guidelines for all the necessary parts of an AED program, such as application, location, and maintenance. We have included a free, downloadable PDF, the “Complete Guide to an Early Defibrillation Program,” for your convenience.

The other sections in the AED Program Implementation area give you an overview of AED program policies and procedures, an outline showing the roles of an AED Response Team, a short guide outlining AED equipment and maintenance, a sample plan to help you plan your AED response to an SCA emergency, AED protocols and procedures, and defibrillator response protocols.

We have made it our business to help save lives. Study these implementation guidelines and be prepared. Sudden cardiac arrest can strike anyone, anywhere, adults and children alike. Don’t risk the lives of your employees, students or visitors. Make sure you have an AED and an AED program in place.