Collier County EMS/Fire Rescue and the Collier County Sheriffs office announce the addition of a new information system that will assist 911 dispatchers in helping callers locate life-saving automated external defibrillators (AEDs) available near sudden cardiac arrest victims.
“The problem is that until now, publicly available AEDs are rarely used in an emergency because people cant see them and 911 dispatchers are unaware they are nearby,” said Dr. Robert Tober, Collier Countys EMS Medical Director “The new system lets dispatchers instantly see the location of all registered AEDs near a sudden cardiac arrest victim so we can send someone to get one in time to help save a life,” said Emergency Medical Services Chief Jeff Page. To encourage the registration of all AEDs, Collier County EMS/Fire Rescue will be partnering with civic and other community groups to reach owners and managers of office buildings, restaurants, malls, gyms, recreational venues, churches and other locations where AEDs may be available. The new system from Atrus, called AED Link , shows the location of registered AEDs on 911 agency maps. Dispatchers can then direct callers to a nearby device. “With this system, we can make every AED in Collier County potentially 35 times more likely to be used in an emergency,” Tober said. The countys AED program is comprised of more than 950 AEDs at more than 500 locations throughout the county. To date, it is estimated that over 6,000 local residents have been trained to properly use the AED devices in emergency situations.
