Stay Involved: Why AED Oversight is Always Important

-By Micah Bongberg Google+ | @annuvia

SAN FRANCISCO, CA – Owning and properly managing an AED unit is incredibly easy-to-do, but it is important to make sure it is done correctly. Otherwise, the potential for unexpected problems and increased liability exposure is a real threat. Mitigating such exposures can be done easily and affordably with the right AED management program.

“We frequently find that AED owners’ participation in their public access to defibrillation program ebbs and flows during the acquisition lifecycle. During the due diligence process, AED buyers conduct vast research and analyze AED unit comparison studies. Typically, they thoroughly review AED-related laws and statutes and build long-term economic forecasts for the life of their program. After scheduling CPR/AED training courses and installing their equipment, the jubilation ends and all the research and best practices they learned go by the wayside,” states Bob Taggart, VP of Communications and Public Affairs for Annuvia, a national AED program management organization providing Medical Direction services internationally. As an EMT and attorney, Mr. Taggart knows exactly why this approach is flawed.

“AED owners are correctly persuaded that acquiring and deploying an AED unit is the right thing to do and that their efforts are backed by strong immunity provisions found in state statutes. Such rationale is correct, assuming owners act in good faith and carefully follow statutes outlined in their state’s law,” warns Taggart. “Following these provisions is incredibly easy-to-do, but its easy for AED owners slip and fall behind once they realize saving lives isn’t a daily occurrence.”

There are several ways to mitigate possible problems related to future needs. For instance, AED owners can use free methods like spreadsheets, “tags” on devices (similar to fire extinguisher tags), and reminders in their calendar. The best option, perhaps, is to combine the AED unit’s Medical Authorization, provided by the AED unit’s Medical Director, with an AED program management service, like Arch. This option is affordable and AED owners will have full confidence knowing that their product is overseen by the top medical and legal minds in the market. In fact, Arch, specifically was designed to meet the unique needs of AED owners so as to provide confident, reliable, affordable solutions.