This story brings to light the question of where the responsibility lies of who should have AED's in their business and who shouldn't. The simple answer is every business should have the responsibility to have an AED in their business. Of course there are cost issues with equipment, training and safety programs. Cost issues aside, should a business that only deals with the public be required to have AED's? Business's that have high potential for cardiac related events (such as sports complexes)? Should all schools be required to have AED's?
Studies are clear, early CPR with early defibrillation mean a higher survival rate from cardiac arrest. Keeping this thought in mind, ideally AED's should be readily accessible at all times to all individuals. There are programs and grants available to get them placed into schools who do not have the funds to purchase them, so why doesn't every school have them?
This ruling by the NY judge is a start in the right direction. It is time to stop being afraid of doing the right thing. Businesses have a duty to have AED's, as do schools, sporting complexes, amusement parks & shopping centers. The cost of one AED may seem like a lot, but when compared to the cost of a life, it is minimal. It is time for our society to demand everyone know CPR and how to use and AED. These two simple tools can save thousands of lives annually. Instead of continuing to foster the atmosphere that "its not my problem", its time to support the idea of "others helping others". If every high school student who graduates is required to have a CPR certification and every person who has a driver's license is also required to be certified, imagine the difference that could be made!
Gyms have duty to use AED's in NY
