Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs)   

Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) are a proven method of reducing death and disability from sudden cardiac arrest.  Most commonly caused by acute myocardial infarction (heart attack), sudden cardiac arrest kills more than 300,000 Americans every year; the great majority die before reaching a hospital. The most common initial arrhythmias, or malfunctions, in adult cardiac arrest can be cured by electricity; early defibrillation is a nationally recognized standard of care. To provide a realistic chance of survival, defibrillation must be available soon after cardiac arrest. Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue sends a defibrillator on every medical call, but in order for survival rates to rise significantly, AEDs must be out in the community.

There are numerous sources of web-based information on AED technology, related research, AED safety, and additional information on heart attacks and AEDs.

How do AEDs work? (PDF, 30kB)

Where can I find AED training?

Where are AEDs in TVF&R's district?

Where else can I find AEDs?

What liability issues are associated with AEDs?

More AED questions and answers

More on sudden cardiac arrest, heart attack, and AEDs

TVF&R AED maintenance log (PDF, 58 kB)

CPR and AEDs in the race against time (USA Today)

Minnesota teenager saves life at basketball game with AED

Additional online AED resources

AEDs in TVF&R's district

AEDs are appropriate where there is a greater-than-average population of "at-risk" employees and visitors, or "high-risk" locations.  Although research is ongoing, there are some recognized criteria for public-access AED placement.  TVF&R participated in the national Public Access Defibrillation study and also supports AED locations outside of the study.  All TVF&R response vehicles carry defibrillators, and AEDs are in all TVF&R administrative offices (North, South, East, Training Center, District Administration) and in many non-emergency district vehicles.  More than seventy agencies, facilities, and businesses in TVF&R's district have AEDs, some with multiple AEDs and/or multiple locations.

	AGC - Wilsonville	SAIF Corporation - Tigard
	Alaska Tanker Co. - Beaverton	St. Matthew Lutheran Church - Beaverton
	Al Kader Shrine - Wilsonville	Sentrol/Interlogix - Tualatin
	Allied Systems - Sherwood	Seventh Day Adventist Church - Beaverton
	Anthro Corp. - Tualatin	Sherwood High School
	Bally Total Fitness - all OR locations	Sherwood Ice Arena
	Beaverton Foursquare Church	City of Sherwood Police Dept.
	Beaverton School District high schools	City of Sherwood Senior Center
	City of Beaverton Police Dept.	Shindaiwa - Tualatin
	C2F - Beaverton	Skanska - Intel Aloha campus
	Calvin Presbyterian Church - Tigard	Smith Barney - Beaverton
	Catlin Gable School - Washington Co.	Special Districts Assn. of Oregon - Tigard
	Charbonneau Golf Club - Wilsonville	Sunset Presbyterian Church - Cedar Hills
	ClearEdge Power - Washington Co.	Tektronix - Beaverton
	Club Sports Oregon - Tigard	David Tenhulzen, DMD - Tualatin
	Coffee Creek Prison - Wilsonville	Three Springs - Tigard
	Columbia Sportswear - Beaverton	Thompson Grass Valley - Beaverton
	Complementary Healthcare Plan - Beaverton	TriMet - Merlo, Elmonica maintenance centers
	Curves - all OR locations	City of Tigard City Hall
	DPI Specialty Foods - Tualatin	City of Tigard Library
	DWFritz Automation - Durham	City of Tigard Police Dept.
	Electro Scientific Industries - Beaverton	City of Tigard Water Bldg. auditorium
	Epic Imaging West - Beaverton	Tigard Rehab
	Fry's Electronics - Wilsonviile	Transcore Commercial Service - Beaverton
	GE Security - Tualatin	Tualatin Hills Parks & Recreation District
	General Motors - Beaverton	Aloha
	Gillespie Graphics - Wilsonville	Aquatic & Tennis - Beaverton
	Herzog-Meier - Beaverton	Athletic Center - Beaverton
	The Hoop - Beaverton	Conestoga - Beaverton
	JAE Oregon - Tualatin	Elsie Stuhr - Beaverton
	Jana's by Kerry - Tualatin	Fanno - Beaverton
	Jesuit High School - Washington Co.	Harman - Beaverton
	KPTV/KPDX - Beaverton	Jenkins - Aloha
	Kaiser Clinics - Aloha, Beaverton, Tualatin	Nature Park - Beaverton
	City of King City Police Dept.	Swim Center - Beaverton
	Landmark Ford - Tigard	Tualatin Valley Water District - Beaverton
	Leupold & Stevens - Beaverton	Tuality Urgent Care - Aloha
	Lexus of Portland - Washington Co.	Utility Vault - Wilsonville
	Lumber Products - Tualatin	Valley Catholic High School - Beaverton
	Mentor Graphics - Wilsonville	Veris Industries - Tigard
	Moore Electronics - Tualatin	Village Baptist Church - Beaverton
	New Vision Fellowship Church - Beaverton	Walton Physical Therapy - Tigard
	Nike - Beaverton, Wilsonville	Washington Square - Tigard
	Norse Bible Church - Tualatin	City of West Linn City Hall
	Northwest Medical Teams - Tigard	City of West Linn Library
	NW Natural training facility - Tualatin	City of West Linn Police Dept.
	Oregon Episcopal School - Washington Co.	City of West Linn Public Works
	Oregon Graduate Ctr. - Beaverton	City of West Linn Senior Center
	Our Redeemer Luther Church - Tigard	Willamette Dental - Beaverton
	Park Place Athletic - Beaverton	Greg Williams, DMD - Tigard
	Parr Lumber - Raleigh Hills, West Linn	City of Wilsonville City Hall
	PGE - Beaverton, Wilsonville (CCC)	City of Wilsonville Library
	Platt Electric - Beaverton	City of Wilsonville Police/CCSO
	Plumbers/Steamfitters #290 - Tualatin	City of Wilsonville Senior Center
	Portland Golf Club - Washington Co.	Women's Healthcare Assoc - Peterkort, Tualatin
	Precision Interconnect - Tigard, Wville	Xerox - Wilsonville
	Re/Max - multiple locations	YMCA - Griffith Park, Sherwood
	Rite Aid Distribution Ctr. - Wilsonville

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AEDs elsewhere

AEDs are becoming more common in the hands of non-medical responders.  The clear verbal and visual prompts provided by many machines - some of which can be programmed into a variety of languages - make AED use easier than CPR.  Most US airports have them in the passenger terminals and some have reported "save" rates of 60% or more. Numerous universities and other institutions, as well as public buildings and private businesses, are now deploying AEDs, with abundant success stories.  The demonstrated effectiveness of AEDs has led many safety and medical organizations to call for greater access to defibrillators, both on the part of EMS responders and the general public. To view selected positions and policies, please see:

• American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP)

• American Heart Association (AHA) I (1995)

• American Heart Association (AHA) II (1997)

• American Heart Association (AHA) III (2005)

• Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA)
          OSHA standards and interpretations relating to AEDs

• More policy and position statements

• Safety officers' roles (263 kB, PDF) Reprinted with permission from Chemical Health & Safety (Vol. 8, No. 2) © 2001, Division of Chemical Health and Safety of the American Chemical Society.
   

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AED types*

• Cardiac Science Powerheart

• Defibtech Lifeline, ReviveR

• Heartsine Samaritan AED

• Philips HeartStart FR2+, Home, OnSite

• Physio-Control Lifepak 500, 500DPS, CR^Plus

• Welch Allyn AEDs

• Zoll AED Plus

NOTE: Access Cardiosystems AEDs have been recalled and the company is out of business.  Physio-Control has a recall on some of their Lifepak 500s; Heartsine has a recall on some of their Samaritan AEDs; Welch Allyn has recalls from 2005, 2006, and 2007 on some of their AED 20s, a 2007 recall on some AED 10s, and a recall for some of their PIC 50s; Defibtech has a recall on some of their Lifeline and ReviveR AEDs.

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Legal and liability issues

Oregon House Bill (HB) 3482, passed in 2005, updated Good Samaritan protection for trained AED providers, employers, property-owners, or agencies who make AEDs available for use, physicians who oversee AED programs, and training providers.  AED providers must maintain necessary training and ensure that deployed AEDs have current batteries and electrode pads. All 50 states have laws addressing liability protection for AED use, but scope, practice, and protection vary considerably.  The new law, Oregon Revised Statutes 30.802, superseded Oregon's previous AED Good Samaritan law, ORS 30.801.  As AEDs are viewed more like necessary safety equipment than just another type of medical equipment (fire extinguishers are a common analogy) we seem to be approaching the day when NOT having public-access AEDs will be a greater liability than having them.

On November 13^th 2000, the Cardiac Arrest Survival Act (CASA) and the Rural Access to Emergency Devices Act (Rural AED Act), were signed into law as components of the Public Health Improvement Act of 2000. The Rural AED Act provided up to 25 million dollars to help rural communities purchase and place AEDs within their communities. In addition to making recommendations on AED placement, CASA expanded some "Good Samaritan" legal protections to AED users and purchasers.

There are detailed discussions on liability and other legal issues associated with AEDs from AED Risk Insights, and a useful summary from the American Heart Association (PDF, 31 kB).  A 2006 AHA policy statement recommends features of AED-related legislation.

AED legislation in other states

OSHA workplace first-aid guide recommends AEDs

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Questions?

Please contact Linda Wert, 503-625-8187.

NOTE: Some material on this page is from commercial websites.  Use of this material does not constitute an endorsement by TVF&R.

*Manufacturer information is provided to inform the public about availability and does not indicate preference or endorsement.  Only FDA-approved AEDs are listed.