Do you or your organisation own an Automated External Defibrillator (AED)? Ambulance Victoria is calling on all AED owners to register the location of their devices with us. Here’s why, and how the information you provide will be used:
Why does Ambulance Victoria want me to register my defibrillator?
Over 7000 Victorians a year suffer a cardiac arrest away from hospital. The time between
someone collapsing from cardiac arrest and paramedics arriving is critical. When a defibrillator is used before an ambulance arrives, the chance of survival almost doubles.
Ambulance Victoria is dedicated to improving out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) survival and has implemented life-saving initiatives to improve defibrillator access through the information provided by defibrillator owners like you.
If your device is registered with Ambulance Victoria, we share this information with Triple Zero Victoria call takers. Publicly accessible AEDs in the registry are also visible to trusted responders of the GoodSAM program, which aims to notify nearby trained responders to calls for help.
What happens if an emergency occurs when our building is closed and the AED isn’t accessible?
If a cardiac arrest happens nearby, your AED location will only be shared with a responder if it is accessible at that time.
When you register, you will be asked to provide your opening hours, along with any information about times when your building or site location is unattended. You can log-in and update this information whenever necessary.
What happens if my AED is taken by a community responder and not returned?
The incidence of AED theft or vandalism is low. In most cases the device is returned immediately after the event.
Alarmed and lockable cabinets are available to purchase from a range of suppliers that may allow peace of mind for defibrillator owners.
Will Ambulance Victoria maintain my AED?
Ongoing maintenance and the replacement of expired consumables such as defibrillation pads are the responsibility of the AED owner – unless your device is used in a public emergency and then
Ambulance Victoria replace then defibrillation pads for you1.
If my AED is used in an emergency, is it my responsibility to ensure it’s returned to working order?
Ensuring the device is in a functional and ready to use state is the responsibility of the AED owner.
However, as thanks for lending your AED to help save a life, Ambulance Victoria will replace the defibrillator pads free of charge1. In most cases, this is all that will be required after an AED is used.
Will Ambulance Victoria contact me when someone needs access to my AED?
Ambulance Victoria will alert nearby trusted responders and bystanders to the location of available AEDs. As the AED owner, you won’t be contacted when your device is needed, however you will be contacted afterwards to ensure your AED is returned and is in working order.
Does Ambulance Victoria provide training in defibrillation or CPR?
Ambulance Victoria is not a provider of accredited first aid courses. Nationally recognised first aid training is available through a number of registered training organisations. For individuals wanting
non-certified training, we recommend a simple “Call Push Shock” awareness approach to cardiac arrest.
You can learn more about it and watch our instructional video here.
My AED is stored on an emergency service / patient transport vehicle, do I need to register it?
No. AEDs that are located on emergency service or patient transport vehicles do not need to be registered.
Publicly accessible AEDs at emergency service or patient transport branches can be registered as this helps to ensure their location is visible to GoodSAM Responders and Triple Zero callers.
Ambulance Victoria continues to work with our emergency service and patient transport partners to ensure patients in cardiac arrest receive timely access to care through initiatives like Emergency Medical Response (EMR). We also encourage everyone who knows CPR to register as a GoodSAM Responder so that you can be notified if someone nearby needs CPR.
My AED is located within a health service, do I need to register it?
AEDs located at community health facilities (including GPs, dentists etc) may be registered in circumstances where that AED is available to be used in the event a cardiac arrest occurs nearby.
Registration of AEDs at tertiary health services should be guided by the policies of those health services, however is generally not required as these locations have internal emergency procedures to ensure the rapid attendance of skilled responders and equipment.
For further information visit:
AED Registry Quick User Guide
Register My AED
GoodSAM
Or contact:
Aed.register@ambulance.vic.gov.au
1800 233 734