How YOU can Help to Get AEDs Installed Within Your City!
Maybe you suffer from heart disease and the thought of not being near a defibrillator makes you anxious. Perhaps you have a loved one who has had a heart attack and you are wanting to make sure they are protected wherever they go. An AED is a life-saving device that can be the difference between life and death… so why aren’t they installed everywhere?
Unfortunately, AEDs are still not mandatory in every building or public location. That means it is up to all of us to reach out, increase awareness, and encourage the installation of MORE AEDs in our own cities. Not sure how to get AEDs installed in your own area? We’ve got your answers!
Speak to Management in Your Workplace
Many workplaces do not have an AED for their buildings/offices. Some corporations might only have a single AED on the main level hidden in the security office for an entire multi-level building! The rule of thumb is that if it cannot be retrieved within 60 seconds, it will reduce the likelihood of survival dramatically. If you are seeking to improve the safety of yourself and your coworkers, speak to your building manager or OHS coordinator to encourage the purchase of a lifesaving device for EVERY floor. Not sure how to convince your manager? Check out our blog on the five ways to convince your boss to get an AED.
Send a Formal Letter to the City
Another way you can advocate for the inclusion of AEDs in your city is by starting a discussion with those who control it! If you have come across a public location owned by the city that could benefit from the addition of a defibrillator, then make a request by notifying them directly. Not sure who to reach out to? Check out your local council or area representative websites and inquire with your desire for an AED installation, asking them to direct you to the person who can assist you in accomplishing this.
Encourage your friends and family members to do the same so that the city council can be made aware that it is an issue at the heart of the public!
Support Cardiac Safety Organizations
There are plenty of Canadian organizations who have heart health and safety at the top of their minds. Organizations such as The Heart and Stroke Foundation, GoodSAM, The Mikey Network, St. John Ambulance’s Start Me Up BC, and others are striving to ensure proactive solutions for cardiac patients. Specifically, increasing the chances of survival for those whose hearts fail. Get involved with these organizations, partake in events, donate, volunteer, or advocate and increase awareness of the issues at heart and help save lives!
PAD Program and PulsePoint
Improving awareness is the first thing that can be done to increase AED access. By registering your AED with your province’s Public Access Defibrillator program (which is linked to 911) and sharing the AEDs location, you will improve survival rates in cardiac arrest emergencies.
Alberta Health Services PAD Program
Saskatchewan Health Authority PAD Program
Manitoba Heart and Stroke AED Registry
Go one step further and share AED locations through the PulsePoint app! This app allows you to build upon an AED registry that shares location identification of AEDs throughout your city. These locations are also shared with emergency responders and CPR/AED trained individuals who are alerted if they are within the area of an emergency so they can rush to help. Keep an eye out for AED locations and be sure to check the app to make sure that all locations are registered!
Purchase/Donate an AED
Sometimes the locations that are missing an AED are those which you frequent the most, such as your neighbourhood community center, a vacation home, or your child’s school. If the funding is not available to purchase an AED at that location, then consider fundraising for or donating towards an AED for them! You have the ability to come together with your family, friends, or community to fundraise for improved safety in your area!
Take the time to consider the locations around you that are missing AEDs. Does your local police force have AEDs outside their stations? Is the bustling local coffee shop equipped to save a life? Does your neighbourhood have someone at risk for cardiac arrest? Find those spaces that require AEDs and work to get them installed!
If you know of a location that is looking to purchase an AED, refer them to First Edition and tell them to share your name and contact as a referral. For each AED they purchase you will receive $100 for making a difference and for your referral! Learn more on how to become an affiliate here!
Are you a resident in YYC? Want to know where some of the AED locations are in Calgary? Take a look at some of the locations that First Edition has installed AEDs in and pay them a visit!
