Promoting HeartSafe Communities
Arrhythmia Alliance stress that every AED placement must work in collaboration with the ambulance service (AS) and, if present, the Community First Responder (CFR) team. The intention of the Restart The Heart (RTH) campaign is to promote all initiatives in relation to public access defibrillation and to enhance and compliment the current emergency service frameworks; facilitating timely and effective treatment.
Arrhythmia Alliance recommends that whichever scheme a community adopts, the AED is positioned so that it is clearly visible and easily accessible in an emergency. In the event of a sudden cardiac arrest, every second counts! Ideally, the AED would be housed in a wall mounted cabinet, either secured or unsecured, permitting limited or full public access if and when needed.
Fundamental to a placement is awareness raising; Arrhythmia Alliance recommend provision of AED awareness sessions and training to ensure that everyone in the community is aware of the placement and location of the AED and is familiar with its use in an emergency.
Awareness raising and community participation can alleviate people’s concerns about resuscitation, can demonstrate how the scheme works, how easy an AED is to use and will explain how to recognise the signs of SCA.