Public Access Defibrillation (PAD) Programs
Help increase survival rates from sudden cardiac arrest in your community
When sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) strikes, the difference between saving a life and losing one can be preparedness.
More than 350,000 people suffer out-of-hospital sudden cardiac arrest each year in the U.S. With each passing minute, the chance of survival decreases by 10%. Early bystander intervention is critical to helping improve survival rates. Help your community be prepared.
Implement a PAD program
PAD programs are designed to enable quick access to lifesaving automated external defibrillators (AEDs), so bystanders can provide critical care when every minute counts.
AEDs should be easily accessible and in working order in both public and private places such as schools, sports arenas, shopping malls, corporate offices, community parks, law enforcement vehicles, and any other places people gather. Your community may already have an AED in some of these locations. But do you have enough, and is everyone in your community aware of where they are and how to respond when faced with an SCA emergency?
Waiting for emergency services to arrive gives cardiac arrest victims just a 5% chance of surviving. But if bystanders intervene and maintain CPR and AED use, those chances jump to 60%.
The AHA recommends a comprehensive PAD program include:
- Targeted placement of AEDs throughout a community
- Responder training
- Coordination and communication with emergency medical services (EMS)
- Developing and implementing an emergency response plan
- Ensuring routine maintenance and testing of AEDs
- Ongoing assessment and quality improvement
- Limited civil liability or qualified immunity
By implementing a PAD program you can have a direct impact on the lives of countless people in your community through enabling:
- Public access to an AED within three minutes
- Faster activation of 911 (emergency) system
- Improved CPR skills
- Knowledge of AED locations
- Faster lay rescuer response to victims
Deploying and maintaining an AED program can be a full-time job, but with ZOLL® as your partner, it can be simple. We understand the complexities of a comprehensive PAD program, and we’re committed to helping you build a program that focuses on education, awareness, implementation, and training.
Let us help you with:
- Gathering data about what already exists in your community
- Funding resources and strategies
- Reviewing cardiac arrest laws and state regulations
- Educational materials to raise awareness
- Choosing the right AEDs to suit your needs
- AED deployment, implementation, and training
