Public Access Defibrillation

Every day in Anne Arundel County a person ’s heart suddenly stops beating — a circumstance called Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA ) . It is caused by a condition called ventricular fibrillation, when the heart ’s electrical system short circuits and prevents the heart from beating effectively. Only a shock to the heart can restore coordinated electrical activity and allow the heart to start beating again.

Less than 5% of the people who suffer Sudden Cardiac Arrest survive. While this is a chilling fact, a coordinated response that includes an AED placed in your business, community center or gathering place can increase the chance of surviving SCA to 75%!

With a one-time investment, and simple training, you have the ability to literally save someone ’s life: most likely a customer or co-worker. Even if you are not trained the presence of an AED in your facility may make it possible for anyone to save the life of a victim of Sudden Cardiac Arrest.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is an AED?
An Automated External Defibrillator allows minimally trained laypersons to treat victims of Sudden Cardiac Arrest ( SCA) . About the size of a laptop computer, with adhesive electrode pads, the device delivers a brief but powerful stimulation to the heart allowing it to start beating again. The device is pre-programmed with the expertise needed to analyze the heart ’ s electrical system and decide whether a shock is needed. AED ’ s use voice
prompts and screen displays to instruct the user in the proper operation of the device.

Why do I need one in my place of business?
Every day in Anne Arundel County, a person ’ s heart suddenly stops beating as a result of Sudden Cardiac Arrest. An AED placed in your business, community center or gathering place can increase the chance of survival to 75%. It is only a matter of time before one of your employees or customers is affected — will you be ready to save their life?

Isn’ t calling 911 enough?
Always call 911 in an emergency. However, time is critical: for every minute that person ’s heart is not beating the chance of survival drops by more than 10%. Within 5 minutes, the chance of survival is less than 50%. Even in ideal circumstances, the national average response time for public safety professionals is 6 to 10 minutes. Anne Arundel County strives to provide the fastest service possible but we cannot save lives alone.

How do I recognize the need for Defibrillation?
You would place an AED on someone you would do CPR on ( unresponsive, not breathing, and has no pulse ) … The machine decides whether or not to defibrillate.

Do I assume any liability by placing an AED in my business?
No. In addition to the Good Samaritan Law that protects individuals who serve as “ first responders ” in time of an emergency, the Maryland AED Program Law specifically protects organizations and individuals that have an AED program.

HeartSmart, the Cliff R. Roop Foundation is a nonprofit organization committed to increasing the chances of surviving Sudden Cardiac Arrest ( SCA ) in Anne Arundel County. Through fundraising and awareness education, the Foundation supports the placement of Automated External Defibrillators and corresponding training opportunities. The Foundation was created in 2000, as a project of Leadership Anne Arundel County, honoring the late County Councilman Cliff R. Roop who lost his life from SCA.

To date, over 44 AED’ s have been placed in our community, and at least three lives have been saved with these devices.