How to Fit an AED into Your Emergency Plan

Aug 3, 2023

Emergency Preparedness Month, observed in September, allows small business owners the opportunity to prioritize awareness and preparedness for potential emergencies and disasters. This month, you can take advantage of various resources, tools, and information available to reevaluate your emergency plan, ensuring that it aligns with the best practices in emergency preparedness and company-wide safety protocols tailored to your specific needs.

Understanding the Importance of an Emergency Plan for Small Businesses and Nonprofits

An emergency plan is a crucial document that outlines the necessary steps, procedures, and protocols to be followed during an emergency situation. As a small business owner or a leader of a smaller organization, having a well-thought-out emergency plan is vital to respond effectively, minimize risks, and ensure the safety and well-being of your employees and the community you serve.

One of the critical elements of an emergency plan is the equipment and safety tools that can increase the chances of survival or provide help until emergency medical professionals can arrive on the scene. An automated external defibrillator (AED) is an example of a life-saving device rescuers can use to assist in an emergency until professional help arrives.

What is an AED?

An AED is a portable device that analyzes a person’s heart rhythm and delivers an electric shock, if necessary, to restore a normal heartbeat. These units are critical tools in treating sudden cardiac arrest (SCA), a condition of the heart where it stops beating or beats irregularly and can’t pump blood to the body and brain. SCA can strike anyone, anywhere, at any time, even those with no known pre-existing heart conditions. An emergency like SCA must be addressed in all complete emergency plans, which makes AEDs an essential tool to include.

Why Small Businesses Should Consider AEDs?

AEDs are designed to be user-friendly, enabling even non-medical personnel to administer life-saving assistance until professional help arrives. While different makes and models have varying features, using any FDA-approved AED machine can increase lives saved after sudden cardiac arrest.

Features to Consider When Choosing an AED

When choosing to implement an AED program into your emergency plan for your small business, it’s essential to consider the features and benefits you are looking for and find the device that best fits your company’s needs. Doing so will help you from overspending on a device that includes features you never intend to use.

Feature options of an AED include:

Semi-automatic vs. Fully-automatic
ECG display, manual override, and 3-lead monitoring option
Passive, responsive, or no CPR coaching
WIFI and remote monitoring
Aviation capabilities

Recommended AED features for a small business include fully-automatic, responsive CPR coaching, and WIFI and remote monitoring, especially if your location has more than one AED. Features such as aviation capabilities and ECG displays may not be necessary for a smaller organization.

Strategic Placement of AEDs in Your Small Business

Your emergency plan should indicate an appropriate location where the AED will be installed, preferably in an AED cabinet. Consider high-traffic areas like waiting rooms, front doors, and restrooms or elevators. If needed, identify locations or areas where there may be a larger population of high-risk individuals, like older adults or individuals with pre-existing heart conditions. Be sure that your AED is in a spot that is easily accessible and visible to potential responders and emergency personnel.

Consider incorporating AED signage above or around your AED. AED signs can let the public know that your facility is equipped with an AED, so if an emergency arises, they could act fast to get the device to the victim as quickly as possible.

Incorporating Training and Education

AEDs are simple, but proper training and education are essential to help ensure effective deployment. Enroll your staff in a certified CPR and AED training course to learn how to recognize SCA symptoms, perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), and properly operate an AED.

Training course options include:

For staff training, we recommend on-site training so your employees can receive an American Red Cross CPR certification card and meet OSHA requirements if needed. Learn about all of our CPR course options here.

AED Maintenance

Regular maintenance and inspection of AEDs are vital to ensure they are in proper working condition when needed. In your emergency plan, choose a designated person within your small business to maintain the AED as part of their job duties. This individual will be in charge of:

Inspecting battery life
Electrode pad expiration dates
Cleaning the device and cabinet (if located in an AED cabinet)
Documenting maintenance on the inspection tag that comes with the AED

It is helpful to use a maintenance checklist and keep a record of AED checks to ensure proper maintenance of the AED. If you plan on implementing more than one AED to your new AED program, consider investing in an AED management program to take some of the lift-off maintenance tasks and help ensure compliance and emergency readiness.

Promote Your New Emergency Plan

After implementing an AED program into your emergency plan, your outline should clearly state the steps to follow in a cardiac emergency, including calling emergency services, starting CPR, and locating and utilizing the nearest AED. An AED program is an achievement that deserves to be shared. You can spread this achievement to your community through public relations efforts like press releases, social media campaigns, and newsletters to continue spreading awareness about small business safety that Emergency Preparedness Month is all about!

Other resources that may contain valuable information to contemplate when upgrading your emergency plan include:

Remember, a well-prepared small business can make a significant difference in times of crisis. Contact us with questions by calling 800-544-0004 or filling out our contact us form, and we’ll reach out to you!

This information does not replace professional CPR and AED training, nor does it replace an AED owner’s manual. For best possible outcomes during a sudden cardiac arrest event, we recommend getting trained in CPR and AEDs by a professional organization and becoming familiar with the AED model at your location. Solely following the steps in this document does not guarantee any outcome in an emergency.