Do I need to notify EMS about my AED?

Do I need to notify EMS about my AED?

Do I need to notify EMS about my AED?

In 2000, the Cardiac Arrest Survival Act of 2000 was put into federal law. It required a person who acquires an AED to notify local emergency response personnel of the device's placement. This Act does not warrant a criminal offense if the AED location is not provided to EMS. However, the law states that by failing to notify the local EMS about the AED, you would not be entitled to immunity protection.

42 U.S. Code § 238q

(a) GOOD SAMARITAN PROTECTIONS REGARDING AEDS.—Except as provided in subsection (b), any person who uses or attempts to use an automated external defibrillator device on a victim of a perceived medical emergency is immune from civil liability for any harm resulting from the use or attempted use of such device; and in addition, any person who acquired the device is immune from such liability, if the harm was not due to the failure of such acquirer of the device—

(1) to notify local emergency response personnel or other appropriate entities of the most recent placement of the device within a reasonable period of time after the device was placed;

Each state has different requirements when it comes to notifying EMS and others about the AED. To see the rules that pertain to your state, click here.

Local and state authorities need to know where an AED is so they can create a map of all the AEDs in a local community.

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