Sea-Tac Airport to Install More Than 200 Automated External Defibrillators

Lifesaving AEDs to be located throughout main terminal, concourses and satellites

(Seattle)--The Port of Seattle announced today that installation of more than 200 Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) has begun at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. The devices can be used by both trained and untrained persons to restore a normal heart rhythm in someone who has suffered a sudden cardiac arrest.

The Port of Seattle Fire Department, which provides aircraft and structural firefighting as well as emergency medical services at Sea-Tac, already has the best sudden cardiac arrest save rate in the country. Installation of the AEDs is expected to push the airport's success rate even higher.

"It's long been known that King County is the best place in the US to have a sudden cardiac arrest," said Port of Seattle Fire Chief Michael Mandella. "As unpleasant a subject as it can be, we want Sea-Tac to be the best place in King County to have a sudden cardiac arrest."

The AEDs will be located throughout the main terminal, concourses and satellites at Sea-Tac. They will be stored in cabinets similar to the kind currently used to store fire extinguishers. And in fact, many of the airport's AEDs will be co-located with fire extinguishers.

"Our goal is to have them no more than a brisk two-minute walk from any public area in the airport," Mandella said. "By rapidly restoring a normal heart rate, we do more than just save lives. We know that victims of sudden cardiac arrest recover faster and have fewer overall complications when their heart rhythm is restored quickly."

The AEDs are extremely simple, and if necessary can be operated by people with no training. The devices remind people in spoken English to call 9-1-1 first, and then walk them through the process of applying adhesive electrode pads to a patients' chest.

"People no longer have to check for a pulse, which can be confusing. They only need to check for breathing and responsiveness before applying the AED," said Robert White, president of Medtronic Physio-Control.

"Once the pads are applied to the patient's chest, the AED determines if a shock is necessary. And if the shock doesn't work, the AED will tell the person to start traditional CPR," White said.

Even though AEDs are simple to use, training is recommended. Medtronic has agreed to fund $10,000 worth of training for those who work at the airport. Port of Seattle firefighters will deliver the training to airport, airline and tenant employees.

The installation of AEDs at Sea-Tac is another step in a county-wide initiative to expand the number of AEDs available to the public.

"We're pleased to have Sea-Tac join a growing list of our community partners who are placing AED devices in locations for use by employees and the general public," said Dr. Mickey Eisenberg, Medical Program Director, Emergency Medical Services Division of Public Health - Seattle & King County. "The evidence is clear: providing early access to defibrillation further increases the odds of survival from sudden cardiac arrest."

Total purchase price of the 208 units is approximately $400,000. Installation of the AEDs began earlier this week, and will continue at the rate of approximately five to seven units per week until the entire inventory is installed.

AEDs are effective in restoring a normal heart rhythm in someone who has lost the normal electrical impulses that control heartbeat. Even though the Port of Seattle Fire Department responds quickly to all medical emergencies, every minute counts in a sudden cardiac arrest. For every minute that goes by without defibrillation, chances of survival decrease by about 10 percent.