Multiple New Hampshire emergency response teams have integrated outdoor-deployed Automated External Defibrillator (AED) units at parks, schools, and public gathering places in their districts.
As reported by New Hampshire Public Radio, the outdoor AED enclosures are heated, water tight, and are secured using a code shared with the local 911 centers.
Callers reporting a possible cardiac arrest are given instructions on where to locate the nearest AED enclosure and the combination to retrieve the lifesaving equipment inside of it.
Linwood Ambulance in North Conway, the town of Londonderry, and McGregor EMS in Durham have already implemented strategies for outdoor access to defibrillation. Several additional cities are evaluating their capacity to add this lifesaving innovation to their communities.
AED TEAM Impact Manager David Hiltz said, "Defibrillators and other lifesaving equipment need to be collocated in areas where they are likely to have the greatest benefit, particularly in outdoor settings where large groups gather."
More information on the purpose-built outdoor AED enclosures is available through AED TEAM's website.
