AED Program Coordinator, AED Program, Implement AED Program, Purchase AED, Automated External Defibrillator

Implementing an AED Program may seem like a challenging task, but it definitely doesn't have to be. With the 7 step guide process of implementing an AED Program, any organization can successfully complete this task. The first step in this process is to select an AED Program Coordinator.

When implementing an AED Program, selecting a Program Coordinator is essential to its success. Therefore, it is imperative that your organization choose the best person for the job and clearly outlines his/her responsibilities.

Who chooses the Program Coordinator?

The person and/or persons assigned to starting the AED Program. This person should have some experience with deploying Automated External Defibrillator (AED) or comparable safety programs.

Example: Human Resources, Executive Management, Risk Management, etc.

Who is the ideal person to be Program Coordinator?

From organization to organization, the background and job responsibilities of the Program Coordinator may vary greatly. However, the ideal person should have some medical or safety experience and their job function should include maintaining the well being of the organization.

Example: Nurse, Risk Manager, Safety Director.

What are the responsibilities of the Program Coordinator?

• To make organization aware of Automated External Defibrillator (AED) and its location.
• Select Emergency Response Team and develop Response Plan.
• Review program with organization’s Medical Director.
• Register AED with local fire department.
• Be familiar with Local, State and National AED Laws/Regulations.
• Organize CPR/AED training for personnel, track renewal dates and schedule re-certifications.
• Perform monthly AED inspections and document results.
• Replace AED pads and batteries prior to their expiration or after use.
• Download post event data, review with Medical Director and debrief the individuals involved.

As you can see, the Program Coordinator has a large number of responsibilities and his/her success is directly related to the success of your AED Program. Therefore, selecting a Program Coordinator may be the single most important task in developing your program.

Contact HeartSafe America to find out more about implementing an AED Program and how we can help you implement your program. HeartSafe America's goal is to educate the public about Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA) and how AEDs can increase the survival rate.

CPR & AED Awareness Week; AED, Automated External Defibrillators, Sudden Cardiac Arrest, SCA, CPR, CPR Training

CPR & AED Awareness Week has been created by the American Heart Association to promote the importance of being trained in CPR and how automated external defibrillators (AEDs) can help to increase the survival rate from Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA).

CPR & AED Awareness week is from June 1 through June 7, 2010. The goal of the American Heart Association (AHA) is to inform the public about Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) and how CPR can help to save a life. Along with CPR, automated external defibrillators (AEDs) are use to revive patients suffering from Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA).

HeartSafe America is an official AHA training site for CPR and AED training courses. HeartSafe America’s goal is to educate the public about Sudden Cardiac Arrest and how CPR and AEDs can help to increase the survival rate.

Have you considered CPR Training? Interested in an AED for your organization?

Contact HeartSafe America today to find out more about CPR Training and how your organization can implement an AED Program.

HeartSafe America; AED Program, AED Implementation, Automated External Defibrillator, Sudden Cardiac Arrest, SCA, AED Laws, CPR Training

An Automated External Defibrillator (AED) Program is key to reducing the number of deaths that occur from Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA). Our 7 step process based on the American Heart Association’s recommendations will assist any organization in implementing an AED program.

As a result of the American Heart Association, state legislation and notable deaths such as Tim Russert (Moderator of NBC’s “Meet The Press”), Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA) awareness is at an all-time high. Therefore, many churches, schools, and corporations are proactively protecting their members from this deadly disease with Automated External Defibrillators (AED). While buying an AED does not guarantee every victim will be saved, it will substantially increase survival rates from 5% to 65-75%. However, in order to achieve maximum results, a comprehensive program must be implemented. Below is a list of steps to do so:

1. Select a Program Coordinator:
   Accountability is the key to any project. Therefore, a single individual must be selected to implement the program and maintain it after initial deployment is completed.
2. Get Decision Makers Support:
   In any organization, it all starts at the top. Therefore, in order for the program to gain notoriety and thrive financially, support from executive leadership is needed. Since most Decision Makers are subjected to large amounts of stress and long hours, SCA should be a concern for them and gaining support should be easy once the facts are presented.
3. Review State & Federal Laws:
   Laws exist to protect people. Therefore, to implement an effective program, the Coordinator must familiarize himself or herself with the Laws that have been put in place to protect those who purchase AEDs and use them.
4. Obtain Medical Oversight:
   As lay people, we may not understand the full scope of implementing an AED Program. Therefore, employing a Medical Professional to oversee program development, deployment and maintenance will have a profound impact on its success. Think of it as a “Technical Support Plan” for your computer. **In some states, Medical Direction and Oversight is a requirement**
5. AED Selection:
   When selecting an AED, research and compare the features of different devices to find the one that best fits your organizational needs. If possible, work with a multi-line AED Distributor who can help you understand the key differences between the devices and consult on the selection.
6. AED Placement:
   If I had to rank the importance of each step, AED Placement would be at the very top. Since AED and AED Cabinets are not the most attractive pieces of décor, many organizations try to hide them or unknowingly place them in inappropriate spots. However, in order to achieve the American Heart Association’s goal of three minutes from drop to “shock”, AEDs must be placed in high traffic, centrally located areas near other emergency medical equipment. In following this recommendation, the device will be very visible and easily accessible if a Sudden Cardiac Arrest occurs.
7. Training:
   All AEDs on the market today have clear prompts, which guide the responder through the save. However, as the old saying goes: “practice makes perfect”. Therefore, it is highly recommend that your entire organization attend a CPR/AED training course administered by the American Heart Association, American Red Cross or equivalent training organization. If training everyone is cost prohibitive, select an appropriate number of individuals to be designated as an Emergency Response Team and have them trained.

Once these steps have been completed, the real work begins. During the initial deployment, enthusiasm and interest will be extremely high. However, after training is completed and the AEDs are placed in their cabinets, most will forget that they exist. Therefore, the Program Coordinator will be responsible for keeping the program compliant and visible. Below is a list of ongoing AED Program responsibilities:

• Monthly Inspections: Every month, the AED(s) must be inspected to ensure functionality. This inspection consists of checking the status indicator and the pad expiration dates (Adult & Pediatric). If the status indicator is “flashing” and the pads are within the expiration, the device is “Rescue Ready”.
• CPR/AED Training: Depending on the training curriculum which your organization has chosen, training renewals will occur every year or every other year. Therefore, the Program Coordinator must track the renewals and schedule re-certifications.
• Ongoing Awareness: As new members join the organization and old members forget, periodic AED reminders should be published. These reminders should include AED location, list of trained responders and protocol for responding.

Deciding to purchase an AED is a great decision and an excellent benefit for your members and/or employees but this decision cannot be validated without proper deployment. Therefore, it is essential that you follow these steps to ensure that if the time arises, your AED Program is prepared to save a life!

Contact HeartSafe America to find out more about implementing your AED program for your organization. HeartSafe America offers six of the top AED manufacturers. Our goal is to help educate the public about Sudden Cardiac Arrest and how AEDs can help decrease the number of deaths from Sudden Cardiac Arrest.

HeartSafe America: Sudden Cardiac Arrest, SCA, AED, Automated External Defibrillator, Drop to Shock

Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA) is the leading cause of death in the United States, accounting for over 300,000 lives per year. Therefore, to lessen the odds of another life being lost, it is critical that every business, school, and church equip themselves with an automated external defibrillator (AED).

Early defibrillation is the essential key to surviving a Sudden Cardiac Arrest and the 3^rd link in the American Heart Association’s Chain of Survival. In order to give a victim an optimal chance to live, the American Heart Association recommends defibrillation within the first 3-5 minutes. A victim's chances of surviving SCA decrease by 7-10% with every minute that passes without defibrillation. Therefore, a cardiac arrest victim who does not receive a shock within 8-10 minutes has less than a 20% chance of survival. Unfortunately, few attempts at resuscitation succeed after 10 minutes.

Once an organization has made a proactive decision to protect its members with an Automated External Defibrillator, placement is key to optimizing response times. When determining the location, it is ideal to use a three-minute time frame or the “drop to shock” principle. Once the victim “drops”, the rescuer has ideally no more than three minutes to retrieve the AED, return to the victim, apply the pads and deliver the first shock. This principle will also help determine the number of AEDs needed to sufficiently cover a facility.

An AED should be placed in high traffic, easily accessible area such as a hallway, lobby, or other area where people congregate. When an area has been identified, the AED should be mounted near other emergency medical equipment (First Aid Kit, Fire Alarm).

In addition to determining the correct number of AEDs and placement, there are several other important elements to deploying a successful AED program such as designating a program director, medical oversight, selecting an AED, notifying local EMS and implementing a training program.

Contact HeartSafe America to find out more about sudden cardiac arrest and how your organization can save lives by using the “drop to shock” principle to equip your organization with AEDs. HeartSafe America’s goal is to educate the public about sudden cardiac arrest and how AEDs can save lives.

HeartSafe America; CPR Training, CPR, Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation, AHA

Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) is one of the most basic forms of training an individual can receive to assist a victim during an emergency. Understanding how CPR can be effective during an emergency is important. Training in CPR can make a big difference in the survival rate of a victim.

Below are some frequently asked questions (FAQs) about CPR.

What is CPR?

Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) is the process of using chest compressions along with breaths to restore a victim’s heartbeat and breathing.CPR is performed when a victim has stopped breathing and he or she has no pulse.CPR provides a continuous flow of oxygen and blood throughout the body.Our brains can only survive 5 minutes without oxygen without doing permanent damage.CPR can double the survival rate of a victim that has no pulse and has stopped breathing.

What are the current CPR guidelines?

Currently, the American Heart Association recommends that a responder use mouth-to-mouth resuscitation along with chest compressions to perform proper CPR.The AHA guidelines recommend two breaths to 30 chest compressions. Of course, the AHA guidelines are updated every 5 years to increase the rate of survival from using CPR.

If you are a responder and you are unable or unwilling to provide breaths to the victim, then the AHA recommends doing a chest compressions only method.The chest compressions only method still gives the victim a fighting chance at survival.

What is the purpose of CPR Training?

CPR is a simple procedure that can be performed by anyone, but with proper training the responder has a better chance of helping the victim to survive. Being prepared for any situation whether it is an emergency or non-emergency is important.

CPR Training is one of the most basic methods of rescue that any individual could be prepared for. Anyone can be a victim of drowning, sudden cardiac arrest, or other medical condition which can cause the heart to stop.With CPR Training, a responder will learn how to perform effective chest compressions to keep blood and oxygen flowing to the brain and to give breaths that keep oxygen in the lungs.

Do you or your organization need CPR Training?

HeartSafe America offers a variety of life saving courses to equip individuals with the knowledge of how to aid a victim during an emergency.HeartSafe America offers the following life saving courses:

• Basic Life Support for Healthcare Provider
• Heartsaver CPR Training & AED Use
• Heartsaver CPR Training with Infant
• Heartsaver CPR Training & AED Use with Infant
• Heartsaver First Aid Only
• Heartsaver First Aid & CPR Training
• Heartsaver Pediatric First Aid with Infant
• Heartsaver Pediatric First Aid without Infant
• Blood Borne Pathogens Training

HeartSafe America is an official American Heart Association Training Site that trains individuals as well as large organizations in life saving courses.

Contact HeartSafe America today to get more information about the life saving courses offered and to register yourself or your organization for the courses.