Public Access to AEDs

Sudden cardiac arrest kills more than 300,000 Americans every year, many of who die before reaching a hospital. The most common initial arrhythmias, or heart malfunctions, in adult cardiac arrest can be corrected with electricity using an automated external defibrillator (AED).

An AED is a computerized medical device that can check a person’s heart rhythm and recognize when the heart requires an electrical shock to return it to a normal rhythm. The AED uses voice prompts to guide the rescuer on how to use it. There are many different brands of AEDs, but all of them are easy to use.

AED Machine

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To provide a realistic chance of survival, defibrillation must be available soon after cardiac arrest. Every TVF&R unit has at least one paramedic and an advanced cardiac monitor/12 lead EKG, but for survival rates to rise significantly, more AEDs must be available for public access. TVF&R’s PulsePoint app identifies the location of a public access AED in a CPR event.

TVF&R strongly supports placing AEDs in targeted public areas where large numbers of people gather such as schools, health clubs, community centers, office buildings and shopping centers. Knowing where AEDs are located allows 9-1-1 dispatchers to quickly direct citizens responding to a cardiac event, to the location of the nearest AED.