Automated External Defibrillator Program

Automated External Defibrillator Program

View Product Focus Archives

FOH Program Contact:
Name: John J Perkner, DO, MSPH
FOH AED Medical Director
Phone: 303 236 0076 x 527
Email: jperkner@psc.gov

Over 225,000 Americans die unexpectedly each year from sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) that arises from undiagnosed heart disease. SCA is one of the leading causes of death in North America. In cases of cardiac arrest, time is of the essence. For every single minute that passes waiting for emergency medical services (EMS), the likelihood of survival is reduced by seven to ten percent. Since brain death occurs in only four to six minutes after the onset of cardiac arrest, after about 10 minutes, most attempts to resuscitate fail.

Cardiac arrest is reversible in around 90 percent of cases if it's treated in the first few minutes with an electric shock to the heart to restore a normal heartbeat. This process is called defibrillation. The sooner defibrillation is started, the more likely the person will survive. It is recommended that cardio pulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and defibrillation be administered three to five minutes after the onset of the cardiac arrest.

A lay person can be trained to administer CPR and use an automated external defibrillator (AED). An AED is a device designed to be used in emergency situations that analyzes the heart rhythm and delivers an electric shock to restore the heart to normal rhythm. Since approximately 10,000 SCAs occur at work, and there are about 400 workplace deaths annually from SCA, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) recommends installing AEDs at the workplace in order to save lives.

FOH’s AED programs are designed to do precisely that. FOH helps save lives by providing federal agencies with state-of-the-art automated external defibrillator programs. Our experts will develop customized agency-specific AED programs and provide the required medical oversight as well. FOH will train lay responders to use AED equipment and administer CPR so they are prepared to begin treatment of SCA within those critical few minutes while awaiting the local EMS.

FOH has a proven track record in implementing successful AED programs that speaks for itself. FOH AED programs have saved the lives of federal employees and visitors to federal buildings. Where AED programs have been implemented in conjunction with FOH’s Occupational Health Centers (OHCs), OHC staff has successfully used AEDs to resuscitate individuals suffering from SCA in federal buildings.

FOH has worked with numerous agencies in support of OSHA’s recommendations by helping those agencies successfully implement life-saving AED programs at the workplace. Contact FOH to learn more about the effectiveness of AED programs in the workplace.

Learn more about FOH’s AED Services

Development of Customized AED Programs and Protocols
FOH will design an AED program and site-specific protocols tailored to meet the unique and individual needs of your agency. Customized AED programs consider access barriers within the facility, and the specific type, number and location of AEDs required for optimal response. FOH also identifies persons to be trained as AED Responders, designs AED Responder activation systems, and coordinates the AED program with the local Emergency Medical Services (EMS) organizations.

AED Medical Director Services
FOH’s Board-Certified Occupational Medicine physician can serve as your agency’s AED Medical Director and who can provide oversight for the entire AED Program. In addition to providing medical consultation and expertise, the AED Medical Director will be involved with protocol development, review all incidents, prepare incident reports, and oversee the quality assurance program.

CPR and AED Training
FOH will organize Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) and AED training for your agency’s AED responders.

Equipment Selection and Purchase
FOH can assist in the selection and purchase of the most appropriate AED device, AED supplies, and support equipment that meet the unique needs of your site. FOH will also help your agency purchase AED Training Units to be used for quarterly practice sessions.

Sudden Cardiac Arrest Event Analysis
The FOH AED Medical Director will analyze the data from each cardiac event and prepare a report of the event.

Critical Incident Stress Management
Should a sudden cardiac arrest event occur, FOH can coordinate a response by FOH’s Employee Assistance Program (EAP) in order to provide Critical Incident Stress Management within 24 to 48 hours of the event, as necessary. If the Agency is not currently enrolled in FOH’s EAP program, FOH can provide Critical Incident Stress Management debriefings at a very low cost to the agency.