AEDs at Events – Are They Necessary?
Emergency situations can happen anywhere and at anytime. At home, work or in a public area. At First Edition First Aid, we carry a wide-array of Philips-brand AEDs and accessories designed for the regular responder to help when someone goes into Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA).
According to the Heart and Stroke Foundation, up to 40,000 cardiac arrests occur each year in Canada. That represents one cardiac arrest every 12 minutes! If victims are not treated quickly and appropriately, they will likely die. By having public access to AEDs, thousands of lives could be saved.
What is an AED?
AED stands for Automated External Defibrillator, which is a portable electronic medical device that is used to treat people experiencing Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA). An AED evaluates an SCA victim’s heart rhythm, determines if shock is needed, and delivers an electric shock through the chest to the heart to defibrillate it. Audible and/or visual prompts guide the user through the process.
Having an event?
If you are hosting an event, you probably have created a checklist to make sure 
everything runs smoothly. But what about safety? What if someone goes into SCA during the event? Are you prepared? Are there AEDs onsite? Not being able to provide a timely medical response at your event can have devastating consequences.
In addition to having basic first aid training, we at First Edition First Aid recommend having an AED onsite, especially at events. Events can be private events in the home, at a venue, outdoors such as a festival or market, or even a sporting event, including marathons.
Emergency and Preparedness Plan for Events
More venues are investing in onsite AEDs such as the Philips HeartStart OnSite AED. If you’re planning an event, make sure to ask the venue if they have an onsite AED. If they don’t, recommend they purchase one for the safety of their guests, or rent an AED (we rent the Philips Heartstart FRx unit which is very durable) for the duration of your event.
Why do you need an AED at your event? Can’t you just call 9-1-1?
First rule when someone goes into SCA – call 9-1-1. Imagine if someone in medical distress, specifically SCA, is waiting for the ambulance to arrive and there is no AED available. A person’s chances of survival drop 10% with each minute that passes, and an ambulance can take up to 8 minutes. This means that having an onsite AED increases a person’s chance of survival by up to 75 per cent or more. With these statistics, the question is, why wouldn’t all events have onsite AEDs?
Events that include strenuous activity
Alberta Health Services highlights that people are at a slightly higher risk of death from SCA during or right after vigorous exertion. Certain activities have higher inherent risks than others; shovelling, or playing sports such as hockey, soccer and basketball have historically played a contributing factor in causing SCA after vigorous exertion.
How to use an AED at an event
At First Edition First Aid, we have built our business around Philips-brand AEDs. We are confident in the Philips-brand because it is the leader and innovator in portable AED technology. The HeartStart OnSite Defibrillator is considered the most user friendly and reliable AED on the market. Designed for the ordinary responder coming to the rescue in the extraordinary moment.
Anyone can use the OnSite Defibrillator. The device guides users through each step of defibrillation, including CPR coaching, to give cardiac arrest victims their best possible chance of survival.
Make sure your event implements all safety protocols, including an onsite AED. You hope to never use an AED, but if there is an emergency, feel confident that if a person suffers from SCA at your event, you can increase their chances of survival thanks to quick response with an onsite AED.
To view the different types of AEDs, please visit First Edition First Aid’s product page.
Resources:
https://www.heartandstroke.ca/-/media/pdf-files/canada/other/pad-eng-final.ashx
