East Side Union High School District - AEDs (Life Saving Heart Defibrillators)

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AEDs (Life Saving Heart Defibrillators)

What is an AED (automated external defibrillator)?Top of Page

An AED is a lightweight, portable device that delivers an electric shock through the chest to the heart. The shock can stop an irregular heart rhythm and allow a normal rhythm to resume following sudden cardiac arrest (SCA). SCA is an abrupt loss of heart function. If it's not treated within minutes, it quickly leads to death.

Most sudden cardiac arrests result from ventricular fibrillation. This is a rapid and unsynchronized heart rhythm starting in the heart's lower pumping chambers (the ventricles). The heart must be "defibrillated" quickly, because a victim's chance of surviving drops by 7 to 10% for every minute a normal heartbeat isn't restored.

training dummy with shock pads affixed and leads attached to open AED

AEDs at East SideTop of Page

AED in walk mount underneath sign for AED

41 AEDs are in the process of being installed at all East Side sites. Installation will be complete by the end of April 2016.

AEDs are placed at easily accessible, highly visible, high traffic areas.

Look for signage outside the building that indicates the presence of an AED inside: Sign with heart under lightning bolt. Text reads: AED inside, heartready.com" healtheducationservcies.net

Sign with heart under lightning bolt. Text reads: AED inside, heartready.com" healtheducationservcies.net

Additional mobile AEDs are also available for athletic trainers and coaches to carry to athletic practices and games.

The locations of East Side's AEDs are shown on Racing Hearts' AED Spotter.

Download Racing Hearts' Spot the Box app to find AEDs on your mobile device, and to help map AEDs in the community.

Easy to UseTop of Page

Wondering if AEDs are hard to use? They’re not. In fact, they are easy enough for the average sixth grader to use on their own. In a recent study, it took 15 sixth graders an average of 90 seconds to complete defibrillation, compared to the 67 seconds on average for EMTs/paramedics.

As noted from the NIH website, "Learning how to use an AED and taking a CPR course are helpful. However, if trained personnel aren't available, untrained people also can use an AED to help save someone's life."

Watch this informative Save-a-life simulator and learn what the best actions to take are when a cardiac arrest strikes.

Racing HeartsTop of Page

Many thanks to Racing Hearts for their assistance in securing grants in support of East Side's AEDs.

Racing Hearts is a 501(c)3 Non-Profit Organization whose mission is to increase awareness of and improve access to automated external defibrillators (AEDs). Racing Hearts empowers people to use AEDs to save lives during a sudden cardiac arrest.

The organization's goal is to increase the success rate of Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA) which has been unchanged since the 1960s at less than 10% but which can increase up to 80% with nearby life saving heart defibrillators. Nearby AEDs is a simple solution to a huge medical problem because SCA can happen to anyone at anytime.

Contact Racing Hearts at (650) 308-4183 or info@racinghearts.org