My Red Cross first aid training suggests getting someone to find and bring the first aid kit and/or
AED for almost any situation. That doesn't mean it's going to be used, just that it's immediately available if needed. I'm torn regarding the local alarm and the summoning emergency personnel. As someone responding to the situation, I'd err on the side of caution and
call 911. But as a business, I understand that a number of false alarms can get you reprimanded or punished. I wouldn't want opening the cabinet to have the
AED in a
standby to cause more issues. Though at that
level, I suppose the management that installed the thing can take responsibility for any issues.
I would be very against it calling the emergency services - as they tend to be costly when incorrectly called out - however alerting campus security/campus EMTs - that is a good thing. Any large facility worth it's salt is going to have an incident management process. Whilst I would expect the person in charge of the facility at the time to have a significant knowledge of those processes and procedures, from a risk management
point of view the sooner you can get a patient from being checked over by a trained first aider, to "in the care of a trained
EMT" the better. I used to be the tech manager for a
theatre located in a casino in Australia. Our
EMT's had advanced life support equipment - essentially the contents of an ambulance or a small ER - on site and there were always 2
EMT's on duty.
Any medical alarms would report to our SOC, and our SOC would dispatch
EMT's accordingly - depending on the method of alarm (phone, pull
point, automated (
AED)) their responses differed - they had a
line to the various emergency services and could have an ambulance "re-positioning" themselves to be more convenient to the potential emergency without issuing a full blown alarm, or they could have a full on response initiated.
The great thing about the
EMT's response from my
point of view as a manager - I would have an incident - for example someone made a major booboo and gave themselves an
electric shock - startled, but appear okay.
Call the SOC.
EMT's arrive, one takes the patient down to their treatment room and chuck them on an ECG, the other gets the statements from those around the area, fills out the incident report and files it. They also file the report with the
power company and with the relevant government agencies. I have no need to worry that the paperwork wasn't done. I knew that appropriate treatment was delivered, that from a legal standpoint I am covered (for response to the incident, not for the event causing it) and that most importantly, someone with more than a couple of days first aid training has checked the person out and they are okay and not going to pass out from an abnormal heart rhythm when they get home.