Senate Bill 1082 was passed by the Florida Senate requiring all Florida public schools to have an appropriate number of AED’s on campus by July 1, 2011.  The bill also requires schools to register the devices with the medical directors of local emergency services, and to provide training programs and appointment administrators of the program, as well as including cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) training.

The bill was aimed at reducing cardiac deaths and incorporated broad legislation covering guidelines for AED usage and placement throughout the state.  Among other inclusions, it requires all state agencies - and encourages any private persons or entities owning an AED - to notify local emergency medical services of the location of the AED, in order to assist their teams in locating the device during an emergency. Owners and administrators responsible for a place of public assembly are also required to notify local emergency medical services of the location of the defibrillator(s).

It also directs the State Surgeon General, with the assistance of the Department of Management Services, to establish guidelines for the appropriate placement and deployment of AED’s in places of public assembly.  

For Floridians seeking to purchase discounted AED packages for schools or other civic organizations, AED-SHOP.com is offering a 5% discount during the month of April on all AED packages!