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Place AED's
AEDs, like fire
extinguishers, should be placed in easily accessible locations where
people can get to them in the event of an emergency. They have no value if
they are hidden, locked in an office, or otherwise placed where they are
not readily visible. AED programs are effective largely because the
devices are so easily used by people with minimal training. The first
person on the scene of a cardiac arrest may not be an employee. Rather, he
might be a person visiting the building for the first time. AEDs are most
effective when they are used during the first few minutes after a person’s
collapse. The concept of Public Access Defibrillation programs capitalizes
on the fact that the first person on the scene - visitor, guest, or
employee - has the greatest chance of saving a person’s life as long as he
has access to the AED.
The American Heart
Association, American Red Cross, and the National Safety Council endorse
the concept of the Cardiac Chain of Survival to summarize the actions that
should be taken in the event of an emergency.
Insert Chain of Survival
The first step is to
notify emergency medical specialists, usually accomplished by calling 911
and relaying to the dispatcher the nature of the emergency, the steps that
are being taken, and the location of the emergency. The dispatcher can
then send an ambulance. The next steps cover CPR and the use of the AED with the final step being the relief of the lay rescuer by
a trained paramedic or Emergency Medical Technician. It is recommended
that the AED be placed near a phone so that help can be called while the
AED is being retrieved. Good locations are behind a receptionist’s desk,
near a front office in a school, or in a heavily traveled hallway near a
bank of phones.
Concerns over thefts
of AEDs are largely overstated. Over the years, people have
learned that stealing fire extinguishers is counterproductive because, if
a fire breaks out and no extinguisher is present, lives could be lost. The
same is true of AEDs. They can be placed in cabinets similar to those used
for fire extinguishers. This tends to make them more secure.
Insert picture of AED
cabinet
To conform to all
architectural standards cabinets can be purchased as recessed,
semirecessed, or flush mounted. They can also be purchased with audible
alarms and automatic dialing.
In their simplest
form, the unlocked cabinet door can be opened without triggering an alarm.
If security of the AED is of great concern, for relatively
little money, cabinets can be equipped with an alarm that sounds every
time the door is opened. This serves to alert people in the general area
if someone is tampering with the AED or taking it to the scene of an
actual emergency. Most cabinets with alarms have a keyed shut-off so the
alarm can be silenced while the AED is being checked. The most
sophisticated cabinet not only sounds an alarm, but also automatically
dials 911 when the cabinet door is opened. Obviously this type of cabinet
kills two birds with one stone but an active telephone line must be wired
to the cabinet in order for it to work.
AEDs
should be placed in central locations within a facility and it is possible
that large buildings may require more than one. The rule of thumb is that
AEDs should be no further than one minute away from any part of the
facility. This means that, at best, a device could be at the site of the
emergency in no more than two minutes (one minute to get from the victim
to the AED and one minute to return). Some thought must be given to this
because the most central location may not have an accessible phone nearby.
Cell phones may fit the bill allowing responders to call while they are on
their way to the AED. Some facilities actually provide a cell phone in the
AED cabinet. Should this be a viable option, consider programming the cell
phone to autodial 911 as soon as it is turned on.
Once a location is
selected, steps should be taken to make sure that everyone who enters the
building knows where the AED is. A variety of methods can be
used. We have designed a self-stick label that works well for glass doors.
Picture of label on door.
Such labels should be
colorful so that they attract attention. Ours have a white space on them
where the location of the AED can be written in indelible pen or printed
with a label maker. The stickers below are 4.5 inches wide and 5.25 inches
high. They are large enough to be seen but small enough not to obscure
people’s vision when used on glass.
Picture of label
The locations of AEDs can also be posted on various bulletin boards throughout
the facility. These notices can be printed on office printers on letter
size paper. A heart logo with either ‘AED Location’ or ‘Defibrillator
Location’ followed by the physical location of the device will direct
people to it.
One other method is
to put directional signs near all the fire extinguishers throughout the
building. These, too, can be printed in- house but it is a good idea to
laminate them before gluing them to a wall. A logo with the letters ‘AED’
and an arrow is all that is needed.
Pictures of 3 arrow signs
This approach
capitalizes on the fact that there are many more fire extinguishers in a
building than AEDs. Seeing an extinguisher and a directional sign over it
pointing to the AED should be effective. Signs that are five inches by
five inches are large enough but the larger the better.
Finally, some sign or
symbol should be placed over the AED cabinet itself. This
sign should be visible from some distance. Do not rely on the small
lettering that may be printed on the glass of some cabinets, as a person
must be very close to read it. The signs we use have the same logo as the
door labels but measure about 7.75 inches wide and 11.5 inches high.
Picture of sign above cabinet.
Of course, door
labels, bulletin boards, and directional signs near fire extinguishers can
be used together. Just make sure that whatever logo you use for one sign
or label is used for the others. If a simple red heart is used for the
doors, use it on the bulletin boards and/or the fire extinguishers as
well.
One final word, don’t attempt to hide the AED from those who frequent your building
under the assumption that it may frighten them. As more and more airports
and shopping malls install AEDs, people are beginning to expect them.
Their presence will signal that you have taken an important step in
protecting their well being.
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