You likely know the location of any automated external defibrillators (AEDs) that may be placed in your work facility. But do you happen to know where other AEDs are located in the greater Portland and Vancouver areas?

The Portland Metro HeartMap Challenge is a month-long community scavenger hunt encouraging citizens to map AEDs in the four metro area counties – Clackamas, Multnomah, and Washington Counties in Oregon and Clark County in Washington. This challenge is being conducted by OHSU’s Department of Emergency Medicine. The HeartMap Challenge is a multi-city community improvement project conducted by the University of Washington in collaboration with local agencies. Learn more about how to add to the inventory, and perhaps win a prize.

Oregon public schools and public buildings meeting certain specifications were required by legislation effective in 2010 to place AEDs in buildings. Immediate cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and use of an AED can more than double a victim’s chance of survival. Early defibrillation, along with CPR, is the only way, in many cases of cardiac arrest, to restore the victim’s heart rhythm to normal.

Other Resources:
OccHealthSci.com Topic: Emergency Preparedness in the Workplace