Tools
Detail - Sample Letter
Letter of Support for participating in the Community PAD Program
PAD programs are generally administered in cooperation with local EMS oversight. Community members can advocate for the implementation of an organized program in their communities. See the letter of support sample.
Brochure
A generic brochure for use to encourage community by-in and site participation is very useful and can be tailored to meet your community’s needs. An example of a PAD program brochure developed for the community by the local woman’s club can be found here.
Registration Postcard
A postcard or website can be used to encourage lay persons to report the location of any community based AEDs. Location reporting can often assist local EMS systems in notifying a 911 caller of a nearby AED and can help in determining where to place additional AEDs in the community. It is estimated that the locations of a majority of the AEDs in a community are unknown18. An e-mail or postcard can remind participants to replace batteries and pads before expiration and to request updated information on AED locations and any new AEDs that may have been added.
Community Training
AEDs are easy to use by simply following the voice prompts. Citizens needs to know how to recognize cardiac arrest, call 911, and to retrieve the device, turn it on, follow directions and place pads. AED training does not have to be formal or lengthy. Alternative methods to traditional classroom training are available. Your local EMS medical director will be able to help you appropriate training resources.
Registration of the AED devices
Any AEDs placed in a community should be reported to the local EMS system, regardless of lack of a requirement to do so. By placing an AED in your community you are partnering with your EMS agency and that agency can provide you with guidance as needed. As 911 dispatch systems continue to evolve, technology will allow dispatchers to direct bystanders to a nearby AED while waiting for EMS to arrive. That approach only works if the 911 center knows where the AEDs are.
AEDs are sophisticated devices with built in safety measures to ensure that the device will not shock anyone unless they need it. The sophistication extends to the devices ability to capture and store event data, which may be useful to health care providers and the patient. Your local EMS providers may wish to capture information from the AED following its use.
Placement
AEDs can be most effective when placed in an area with a large concentration of individuals. One guideline suggests an AED be present if more than 250 people spend at least 8 hours a day at the site. Some very common places include: airports, shopping malls, public sports stadiums or arenas, public transportation locations (train, bus station, ferry terminal) health clubs, gyms, community centers, golf courses, tennis courts, and large industrial sites. Effective placement of AEDs will allow the rescuer to retrieve the machine and deliver a shock to a victim within 3 minutes of collapse. When deciding where to place AEDs, use this 3 minute rule as a guideline to help you determine how many AEDs you need and where to place them.
Companies should determine if there are places on-site where the incidence of sudden cardiac arrest may be higher, such as corporate health clubs, or locations that are hard to reach quickly. These may be good locations for AEDs. Areas where many people gather such as cafeterias often make sensible locations for the devices. It is imperative, when at all possible, to place AEDs within plain view in an unsecured location. Often used hallways and near elevators or building entrances are common locations.