Earlier this year in April, the governor of Maryland approved Connor’s Law, which required an on-site automated external defibrillator at all city-owned/municipal pools in the state. Two months later, Olinger Pool in Salem, Oregon received an AED donation from Cascade Cardiology, a local organization of cardiologists. In August, a new public pool opened in Jacksboro, Texas, and was presented with an AED from the Faith Community Hospital Charitable Foundation. Commercial pool management is well-aware of the many safety precautions associated with large facilities. Investing in an on-site AED may be a wise decision, given the increasing presence of these life-saving devices in public pools outside of Maryland.

Providing a safety precaution

President of the FCH Charitable Foundation, Blain Rumage noted that the presence of an AED on-site at the pool would help provide a peace of mind for visitors.

“The city pool is a fantastic example of what the community can accomplish together, and we wanted to continue the spirit by partnering with healthcare in mind,” he said. “We hope that our EMS department never receives a call out to the city pool, but in the case of an emergency, we want the public to be rest assured that lifeguards on-duty will have the equipment and expertise to stabilize patients while our emergency team is en route.”

Having an AED on-site enables citizen responders to provide essential care for a patient as soon as possible. According to the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, individuals who have received AED and CPR training can more readily handle a situation requiring an AED. However, the organization also pointed out that those who are untrained are also able to use the devices.

Training citizen responders

In order to receive lifeguard certification from the Red Cross, students must fulfill prerequisite courses that include AED training. Reach out to a full-service pool company that can help you acquire a device and provide the necessary training for your lifeguards. It’s a big step in increasing your pool’s safety and can be daunting. Contacting and working with industry professionals who are familiar with all aspects of pool safety and maintenance can help ease that pressure.

AEDs are appearing in more public pools, regardless of legislation. Acquiring a device for your facility would show your organization’s commitment to guests’ safety, which may boost attendance and will certainly increase safety and peace of mind for swimmers and staff alike.