7 Places You Visit Daily That Should Be AED Locations (but might not be)
We all know that having an AED nearby can double someone’s chances of survival and save a life – so why do we not see many AED locations? Think about your daily routine – where you go. As you go to work, the gym, pick up kids from school, grocery shopping, etc. do you come across AEDs? Because emergencies can occur anywhere, there should be no limitation to the number of AEDs accessible to us. The problem is, to get these life-saving devices in these locations, we need to first bring awareness. So, as you go about your daily routine, keep an eye out for AEDs and make a mental (or physical) note of where you see them and where they are missing. Here are 7 places you visit daily that SHOULD be AED locations but might not be!
1. Gym
Exercise is great! Staying active and living a healthy lifestyle is beneficial to our hearts. The gym is a place to work on getting healthy, it is a place of physical excursion, and cardiac emergencies can occur. If someone pushes him or herself too hard or has an unexpected cardiac arrest, an AED will be needed. Take a look around your gym and speak to the trainers to see if there is an AED on site. Simply knowing where it is in your gym can be those critical minutes that mean life or death! Just check out what happened when gym members were put to the test to find an AED:
2. Office Building
How many people do you work with? Regardless if you work in a small office or on a floor with hundreds in a business building, there needs to be an AED. Some buildings will have one AED for a few floors, but the problem becomes the time it takes to retrieve it. It takes longer than expected to run to another level or have someone bring an AED down in an emergency, time a cardiac arrest victim doesn’t have. Take a look around your office building and see if you can find the AED locations on each floor. If not, inquire to your building or office manager and ask whether or not your floor has an AED (with backup batteries and pads).
3. Local Café
Think about how many people your local café sees daily. Depending on how popular it is, they could see hundreds, if not thousands of people each day! With all of those people coming and going, is an AED easily accessible if someone was to have a cardiac arrest? Caffeine can take a toll on the heart – especially if someone had a pre-existing heart condition. Why take the chance of someone’s life? Have an AED and be prepared for any emergency!
4. Sports Arena / Recreational Facility
Dropping the kids off for hockey or soccer practice? A sports arena is a location that many of us are constantly going to on a regular basis. Although this is an area where we push our bodies to physical exertion, many sports arenas and recreational facilities do not have an AED. The fact is that a number of incidents of cardiac arrest have happened at sports arenas. Players young and old have pushed their heart too far, resulting in the need for an AED. No one wants to see their child, friend, or team mate fall due to heart failure – speak up and be the one to encourage the arena to provide an AED. It could save someone’s life (and it might be yours)!
5. Shopping Mall
With an increase in the number of people in one location, the likeliness of someone having a cardiac arrest also rises. Because malls are so large and have a number of stores throughout, it can be discomforting to know that the AED someone needs is on the other side of the mall. It is important that AEDs are close by! That is why malls should have an AED in a number of places.
The other problem becomes, where do people find an AED in an emergency? Are the AED locations properly labelled? Does each store’s staff know where to find one in the mall? These are questions that each mall employee (and shopper!) should be asking!
6. Grocery Store
Everyone needs to eat! And everyone has a heart! Similar to a local café, grocery stores will come into contact with thousands of people daily of all ages. Some of them may even have pre-existing heart disorders. This is one of the most important AED locations as anyone can experience heart problems and so many frequent it. Grocery stores also have innumerable amounts of foods. In the rare occasion that someone comes into contact with a food item they are severely allergic to, the anaphylaxis could lead to heart failure and cardiac arrest. Having an AED in the store (or even better to have one for each department), will increase your preparedness!
7. Local Transit
People need to go places, and when they are on the road they should feel safe. If you take the bus or metro, ask the driver if there is an AED on board. Because transit is constantly moving, it is important to have an AED as the route could take you far from help! If someone had a cardiac arrest on the bus, and there were no stores or hospitals nearby, that person would have to wait until 911 first responders arrived. On the other hand, if an AED was on board, then that person could receive immediate attention! Are you a transit-traveler? Speak to your bus driver or contact the city transit and inquire about whether an AED is provided. It could be just the thing to save a stranger, a loved one, or even you! Being prepared is always better!
Have you seen AED’s on your daily commute? Post a picture on facebook, twitter, or instagram with the hashtag #aedfound to be entered to win a First Aid kit.
Want to REALLY help? Upload the location of that AED to the PulsePoint app so those nearby can locate it when necessary.
Haven’t seen one? Well, when you come across locations that do not have an AED, speak up! Many locations are not aware of the impact these devices can have and don’t even think about it. Speak with those in charge and inquire about getting an AED for locations you frequent.
Are you a business owner or the one responsible for decisions? Purchase an AED that suits your needs – First Edition has a ‘Build Your Own AED’ option so you can customize the perfect AED package!
Join First Edition First Aid in finding those AEDs! If you come across an AED, take a selfie with it and tag us (Twitter and Facebook @FirstEditionAED) and use the hashtag #FindAnAED and #AEDFound! Want to bring awareness further to AED locations? Download the PulsePoint App and add that AED to the map! This way if emergencies occur, the world will have a better idea of where a defibrillator can be found!
