Posts Tagged ‘AED Program’

Public Access Automated External Defibrillators

Thursday, October 14th, 2010

emedbldg2Sudden Cardiac Arrest is the leading cause of death in the United States – striking adults and children any time and any where.  A majority of the time, these individuals have no prior diagnosed heart condition.  Sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) prevents the heart from pumping oxygenated blood throughout the body – especially the brain.  SCA results in immediate unconsciousness and death within minutes unless the patient receives defibrillation.  If the patient receives defibrillation within the first 3 to 5 minutes of SCA the likelihood of survival is many times greater than 74%.  However, once time passes 5 minutes the survival rate deceases by 10% each minute.  After 10 minutes, few resuscitation attempts are successful.

Lay responders are critical to saving lives in public places where medical personnel may not be available immediately.  Early defibrillation saves lives every day in schools, airlines, public buildings, hotels and resorts and fitness centers.

AED training should be implemented where AEDs are placed, to insure an effective AED program.  Responders, whether a security guard, school nurse or individuals at a worksite, should receive training on the steps to responding to an emergency, as well as CPR training.  The team at eMED is available to assist you with an emergency response plan and CPR/AED training.  Many companies, schools and churches have chosen eMED as the source for AEDs and training – resulting in more documented life-saves than anyone.

trainingctr2eMED  recently moved our new headquarters in Little Rock, Arkansas.  Our new home has a state of the art training facility, as well as one of the largest AED warehouses in the United States.  This new facility allows eMED to have more AEDs in stock, along with all accessories and AED cabinets.

For more information on automated external defibrillators, AED implementation plans or CPR and AED training – call an eMED representative at 866.327.3633 or visit our website:  www.emedamerica.com.

AED Legislative Update

Thursday, September 9th, 2010

LegislativeupdateAutomated external defibrillator (AEDs) laws provide an avenue for individuals to save lives.  Those who help victims of sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) are protected by Good Samaritan laws.  Survival rates can be increased for victims of SCA by installing AEDs where large groups of people gather:  schools, stadiums/arenas, shopping malls, airports and hotels.  Many states have begun to introduce and pass legislation mandating the placement of these life-saving devices.

Right now, there are more than 67 pieces of pending legislation involving AEDs before state governing bodies.  Here are a couple of important bills eMED is currently following:
Connecticut AED legislation: SB 186 would establish requirements regarding AED placement and AED maintenance for health clubs.  The bill was introduced by the General Law Committee and has since passed two committees and is now in the hands of the Senate Judiciary Committee.

New Jersey AED legislation: New Jersey had a number of bills introduced in 2010.  A few of interest are AB 104, creating a defibrillator grant program in DHSS for municipalities, appropriating $1.7 million for this program.  AB 1780 allows for a tax credit for the full cost of corporations and businesses purchasing portable heart defibrillators.  SB 393, known as “Janet’s Law;” requires AEDs in both public and nonpublic schools, recreational fields and youth camps.

California AED legislation: SB 127 was recently passed by both houses in California and was sent to the Governor’s office for signature.  This bill exempts health studios and employees for civil damages from AED use.  The bill also requires compliance with the AED law when members have access when studio employees are not present.

For additional information on AEDs, or how to implement an AED program, give eMED a call at 866.327.3633.

Little Rock Church adds Defibrillators, DNR Policy

Thursday, June 24th, 2010

The Pulaski Heights United Methodist Church in Little Rock, Arkansas recently set up an Automated External Defibrillator (AED) Ministry. Their church is now equipped with four defibrillator units for the 98-year-old congregation of more than 4,000 members.

The Policy was set in place after a member of their congregation stated that she did not want any “heroic” measures to be used to revive her. This new Policy states that, “CPR and an AED unit will be used in an emergency, unless there is a clearly identifiable  Do Not Resuscitate preference on the person who appears to be in need of the emergency aid.”

Bill Mann, chairman of the church’s Holy Healthy Committee stated that, “over the last few years, we had one or two episodes where someone became incapacitated. It wouldn’t have initially involved needing an AED defibrillator unit, but we knew that it was a possibility. We felt that a church the size of ours, with as much use as the campus gets, we needed to be prepared for an incident in the future.”

eMED’s own, Ben Wellons, says that “Greater than 50 percent of 911 calls from churches have to deal with heart attack or cardiac arrest.” He also believes that although eMED has sold units to more than 250 religious organizations in the past year, including Pulaski Heights, the market has barely been scratched.

…To continue reading about this article in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, click here.

If you are interested in implementing an AED Program of your own, eMED Inc. would be more than happy to help you get started. Please feel free to call anytime Monday through Friday from 8-5 on our toll free number 1.866.327.3633 to talk to a representative for your region today!

Set up an AED Program in your Community, School, or Business.

Monday, January 18th, 2010

To help ensure a successful AED Program, assign a project manager and tailor a program that works for your situation. Be sure to cover these bases:

Get Ready:
•   Assign a project manager
•   Gain consensus among stakeholders
•   Review federal, state and local laws and regulations
•   Consult local emergency medical services
•   Identify your response team

Get Set:
•   Arrange for medical direction
•   Choose AED equipment and vendor
•   Design policies and procedures — and keep improving them
•   Train response team and plan for refresher training
•   Assess how many AEDs you’ll need and where to place them
•   Develop a budget (equipment, training, promotion)
•   Have your legal counsel review your program

Go:
•   Purchase and deploy AEDs and other supplies
•   Promote your program
•   Follow your quality assurance plan for people, equipment and procedures