What is the Automated External Defibrillation (AED) Program?
The goal of the Automated External Defibrillator (AED) Program is to train volunteers to come to the aid of individuals suffering from a sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) in the workplace within a 3 to 5 minute response time. The chances of survival from SCA fall by seven to ten percent with each passing minute. Therefore, trained responders onsite are critical to survival. Until recently, only a specially-trained medical professional, such as a physician, nurse or paramedic, was able use a defibrillator to help save an individual suffering from SCA. Now bio-technical advances have put this same lifesaving technology into the hands of lay responders. AEDs, which have been specifically designed for the lay responder, are designed to interpret the hearts rhythm and determine if a shock is needed. That means anyone with minimal training can deliver CPR and a lifesaving shock before emergency care arrives, dramatically improving cardiac arrest survival rates. Having an AED in the workplace and t
