Having an Automated External Defibrillator (AED) in your office, clinic, community space can absolutely save lives. However, purchasing the equipment is just the first step. “Automated” doesn’t mean instant. Training is required to use the AED properly. The equipment must be maintained also. That means regular updates on batteries and pads.
We wanted to share a couple of stories that illustrate this point.
And to remind you that Staying Alive offers FREE inspections of your AED equipment. Call us today!
55+ Community
I received a call from a gentleman who was asking to buy replenishment items for an AED. He was a volunteer / resident of a very large 55+ residential community. He wasn’t clear on what he wanted so I asked questions to try and determine what he was looking for. It took a bit, but he was able to tell me the make and model that he had but then proceeded to tell me that there were other units and he really didn’t know all that was needed. He didn’t seem very confident about what he was asking or trying to accomplish. I offered a free consultation with him where I could see what he was talking about. When I arrived, he shared that a noise prompted the whole situation. A noise? Yes, a noise. There was a strange beeping/alarm type noise in the office. After some searching, they found an AED buried in the back of a cabinet under a pile of things in the office. The noise was the AED trying to tell them that it needed a new battery and electrode pads! Well, that prompted some research! They discovered that the community had 5 additional AEDs. All were in dire need of new batteries and new electrode pads. Fortunately, the prep kits with the AED on the pickleball court had one of my stickers. That’s how he was able to contact me. We proceeded to update them and got them all back in service with fresh prep kits. However, the next step is training. It is awesome that they have the AEDs. It is fantastic that they made sure that they were in working order. But they are USELESS if no one knows how to use them.
Dental Office
I have a wonderful dental office that I have been to several times. The first time I was invited to come and teach, I asked, as I usually do, if they had an AED. The dentist was so proud that he had one and brought it out to show the staff. I said we would go over the specifics of that AED at the end of class. But I noticed, out of the corner of my eye, that there was something wrong. I stopped and opened the back cover and, sure enough, there was no battery! Fortunately, he did have a battery, it just hadn’t been installed. The AED then proceeded to go through its self check and it was good to go. Fast forward to this year’s renewal. When I arrived, they were asking about their AED and the noise that it was making. Yep. It was trying to tell them that it was in need of new pads and batteries. Then they bought new batteries but needed some help installing them. I made a phone call to walk them through the process. Next I brought new AED pads out personally to make sure that they were installed correctly and double checked that the batteries were installed correctly.
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