What is a PAD Program?

PAD stands for Public Access Defibrillation program. PAD’s are designed to increase the number AED’s in the public sector and equip lay people to save lives. This is especially critical in areas where large numbers of people or high risk individuals are present. To be successful, your PAD program should include an emergency program manager; American Heart Association recommends medical oversight by a qualified medical professional, and integration with your responding EMS Agency. AED's are a component of the Chain of Survival and a key component of the community emergency response system

American Heart AED Programs Questions and Answers - [click here]

What is a MERP Plan?

MERP stands for Medical Emergency Reaction Plan. This is the blue print of your PAD program’s operations. The MERP addresses the following aspects of an emergency incident:

• Overview of the Emergency Response Program for your facility/organization
• Identifying a medical emergency
• Activating the in-house emergency response plan
• Who will respond to medical emergencies in the facility
• How will responders be notified and communicate with each other
• Notification and involvement of local EMS
• Who will meet and escort EMS responders to incident location
• Incident scene control
• Record Keeping
• Notification of administrators and other key staff
• Post-incident follow-up procedures
• After hours procedures

What is a Program Manager?

A Program Manager oversees your implemented PAD program. The manager assists the onsite program coordinator, as well as, routinely provides retraining with CPR and AED, and performs routine checks on equipment and accessories.

Why do I need a Program Manager?

Three important reasons: Medical Oversight, Training, and Equipment. In 2003, National Institute of Health performed a Public Access Defibrillation study with volunteer lay rescuers in a major city. A result of that study showed CPR Skills fell to 87% of their proficiency within one year of training. Without routine re-familiarization those trained may forget how to use your AED. Regular inspections of your AED insure that the equipment remains in good working order. It is important to remember that an AED is a tool and it is people using this tool that save lives. Team work involving your Program Manager and your response team assures that your people and your AED will always be ready.

CPR Connection of North America ’s PAD Management and Maintenance Program Customer Service is important to us and the goal of CPR Connection of North America is to make all AED owners and lay responders confident and ready to respond to a life threatening event. This is accomplished through our Maintenance and Management Program. This program includes:

• Emergency Medical Director Oversight
• Medical Emergency Response Plan (MERP)
• Site Survey for number and placement of AED’s
• Assisting the onsite program coordinator with implementation & maintenance of AED program
• Medical Emergency Response Plan
• AHA Instructors onsite training and two training visits available to keep CPR and AED skills at an optimal level
• On-site Drills and Scenarios available
• CPR Certification record keeping-we will notify you 90 days prior to
• certification expiration
• Assist with maintenance of equipment (batteries, pads, and defibrillator)
• Notification of equipment expiration (Pads and Batteries)
• Integrating EMS into the PAD Program
• Annual AED inspection and testing.
• Incident debriefing and support after a Sudden cardiac Arrest (SCA) event
• Sudden Cardiac Arrest Event Review and Analysis by a Medical Director
• Notification of changes in AHA guidelines
• Available for questions or concerns regarding your PAD Program
• Free pad replacement for any documented SCA event

If your workplace already has an AED regardless of type of AED we can still provide you with training and program management.

The goal of CPR Connection of North of America is to make it easy for you to implement, train, and help assist and maintain your AED program. We want you and your employees to feel comfortable and confident to deploy this machine when and if the time comes. You purchased peace of mind with your AED, let our quality customer service provide you with the peace of mind that your device will work and you will be confident in your abilities to save a life.