California Seeks To Boost Businesses’ Access To Cardiac Defibrillators
The California Emergency Medical Services Authority is proposing regulations to make automated external defibrillators available to more businesses in an effort to improve survival rates for heart attacks, the Oakland Tribune reports.
The devices, known as AEDs, greatly improve a heart attack victim's chances for survival when used within minutes of the incident, according to Capt. Glen Doty, an emergency responder for the Livermore-Pleasanton Fire Department.
Under EMSA's proposal, emergency physicians would be able to prescribe AEDs to businesses, as long as the business provides workers with extensive training and certification before using the device.
The regulations also would require each business to hire its own medical director to oversee the AED program, a move that the Tribune reports is cost-prohibitive for most businesses.
John Vonhof, pre-hospital care coordinator for the Alameda County Emergency Medical Services, said the proposed rules are still in the initial stages and do not have a timeline (Gokhman, Oakland Tribune, 1/10).