AED Mandate for Massachusetts Schools
January 23, 2017 AEDs for Schools
AED One-Stop Shop is excited to share that there's new legislation approved in Massachusetts in 2017 that will require every school (public, private or charter) to become AED-equipped. Senate bill S2449 will require that Commonwealth of Massachusetts schools be compliant with the mandate by July of 2018.
The bill was sponsored by State Senator Mark C. Montigny and is pending final approval by Governor Charlie Baker. Massachusetts joins about 20 other States who have similar mandates in place. New York, New Jersey and Texas are a few examples of States who have very widespread requirements while others have requirements only for school athletic programs. It's estimated that more than 300 schools have not deployed life-saving Automated External Defibrillators yet.
How many AEDs are needed for a school? School districts should aim for a deployment where AED placement is optimized so that response times can be 3 minutes or less. This recommendation comes from the American Heart Association and a goal that "drop to shock" occur in less than 180 seconds. Best practices that come from school districts around the Nation are to place AEDs in the following locations: Gymnasiums, outside Nurses office (not locked inside,) auditoriums, campus police, school buses, and portable AEDs for sports and traveling teams. It's not uncommon for a High School to have 8 or more life-saving devices but it's typically a smaller number for Middle and Elementary Schools.
Who determines the plan for AEDs? School Nurses, Health & Wellness Directors, Athletic Directors, Facilities and Operations, and sometimes the Superintendents are often the "champions" for AEDs within a district. A good plan should include the equipment, organized CPR/AED training & certification, and program management which incorporates compliance with State AED laws and readiness software to ensure AEDs are checked routinely.
AED One-Stop Shop is a National leader in AEDs and as the name "One-Stop Shop" suggests we handle all facets of an AED program. AED One-Stop Shop supplies the following brands: LIFEPAK, Samaritan, Powerheart, ZOLL, Defibtech and Philips. For more information on AEDs in the State of Massachusetts read more here or call 855-677-2337 or email Sales@AEDOneStopShop.com.
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