The Langeland AED project – Incorporates emergency dispatch, FirstAED GPS technology, Smartphones, first responders with distinct roles, and an AED network

Abstract

Purpose: FirstAED is meant as a supplement to the existing emergency response systems. The purpose is to shorten the first responder response times at emergency calls to below 5min on the island of Langeland. The FirstAED project defines a new way to dispatch the nearby first responders and organize their roles in the hope of reducing response times and improving survival rates. Materials andmethods: First aid and cardiopulmonary resuscitation isprovidedby215first responderswhouse their smartphone (iPhone 4S/5). The population purchased 95 AED’s which are available around the clock and placed less than two kilometres apart. FirstAED is an auxiliary to the public services and it enables the emergency dispatcher to send an organized team of first responders with distinct roles to the scene. FirstAED global positioning system GPS-track the 9 nearby first responders. FirstAED chooses the 3 most optimally located first responders who have accepted the alarm. FirstAED organizes the three first responders in a team: no. 1 reaches the patient to give cardiopulmonary resuscitation; no. 2 brings the AED; and no. 3 is the onsite coordinator. Results: During the first 17 months the FirstAED GPS system was used 513 times. Three first responders arrived in 90% of the cases, and they arrived before the ambulance in 95% of the cases. FirstAED entailed a significant reduction in median response time frommore than8minbefore to4min6 sec after. Thefirst responder was on site in less than 5min in more than 60% of the cases. The AED was on site within a median time of 6min and 10 s. Conclusions: GPS-tracking reduces the response times, and the quality of the effort improves as all the first responders who accept the FirstAED alarm have distinct roles.