An automated external defibrillator cabinet alert system has been installed at Daniel K International Airport in Hawaii (HNL).
Installed by the Hawaii Department of Transportation (HDOT) Airports Division, the alert system will immediately notify key personnel of an AED cabinet door opening or an AED being removed.
This system will not only provide additional security for the AEDs but will notify staff when an AED is removed but may not be needed. The programme’s goal is to encourage employees and bystanders to retrieve one of the numerous, easily accessible, highly visible AEDs for any possible medical emergency. “That information is vital for first responders because with cardiac situations every second counts,” said Martinez Jacobs, chief of the Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting Division.
According to HDOT, the system is the first of its kind and was designed in collaboration by a Canadian-based company, Teldio, along with two Hawaii-based companies, AED Institute and JHL Integrations. The software programme cost $150,000 to develop and installation in the more than 130 boxes at HNL will cost approximately $70,000. “This new technology gives us a chance to track when these cabinets are open, but more importantly, when the machines are actually used, said Pamela Foster, president and owner of AED Institute.
This new alert system will allow greater oversight and knowledge as to how many times the AEDs are accessed and how often airport employees and bystanders may respond. This system will also help HNL monitor where medical emergencies occur and where the airport may need additional AEDs.
Since 2006, there have been more than 80 cardiac arrests at airports in the State of Hawaii. More than 80% of those affected have received bystander CPR and the immediate use of public access automated external defibrillators prior to the arrival of professional responders.
Image: KeithH via Wikimedia Commons
