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AED Site Survey –
Conducting a site survey or risk assessment should be one of the first steps in planning your AED program. The questions that your organisation will need to address are:
- How many AEDs do we need?
- Where do we place AEDs?
- What accessories do we need?
Who should perform the Site Survey?
Although we at Australian Defibrillators have vast experience in the placement of many AEDs in many different organisations and situations, we believe the site survey should be done in conjunction with a member of your organisation who has prior first hand knowledge of the facility.
Emergency Response Time
There is no magic rule for how many AEDs need to be placed for a certain number of people. An AED Program design is largely dictated by response time. The goal of an AED program is be able to deliver care to a victim rapidly. How rapidly? That may vary by organisation, but the main goal of many AED programs is to be able to deliver a defibrillation shock to a cardiac arrest victim within three to five (3-5) minutes of the event.
Expect to take a minimum of one (1) minute to recognise the emergency and react. Once the AED arrives by the victim's side, expect to take a minimum of one (1) minute to assess the victim, apply the chest electrode pads and use the AED. The gold standard used internationally is the “3 minute drop to shock” rule.
Response Model
Consider how the AED (and responder) will get to the victim. In a Local Response Model, the AEDs and responders are all mixed in a local area such as an office or factory floor. It is expected that in a cardiac arrest, a person will recognise the emergency, retrieve the AED, and return to the victim within the response time. Most layperson AED programs rely on a Local Response Model.
A Central Response Model is often used where professional responders, such as security officers or the staff of airports, shopping centres, etc; where they are dispatched with an AED from a central location.
A Hybrid Response Model combines several elements, and may be used in certain AED programs.
Locating AEDs
Assuming your AED program goal is to be able to reach a victim with an AED within three minutes, AEDs should be located to be reached within three minutes of most locations on your premises. Be sure to consider all parameters, parking areas, and remote buildings as well. You may want to walk at a brisk pace with a stopwatch to get an idea of travel times. An able adult can usually briskly walk about 100 metres per minute. Remember you may need to allow for a round trip to get the AED, and then return to the victim.
Response Issues
When planning your AED locations and figuring response times you should consider common barriers like security access and response staff