Getting Started
After you have formed a committee, it is time to roll up your sleeves and get started.
The first order of business for the committee is to
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Elect a chairperson
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Give the campaign a simple, positive, easy-to-remember name
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Identify a person to serve as a central point of contact for the committee (e.g., chairperson) and set up contact information (address, phone, fax, e-mail)
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Create a logo and letterhead (optional)
Mission Statement
The committee's next job is to develop a mission statement which will not only help the committee stay focused by constantly reminding its members of its purpose and goals, but, by clearly stating that purpose and goals to the larger community, will help generate the broad-based community and political support an effective AED program requires.
Specific goals will depend on the size and makeup of the community to be served by the AED program. The mission statement of a committee acquiring enough AEDs to ensure access to earlydefibrillation for players, coaches, parents and spectators of a travel soccer program will look different than the mission statement of a committee acquiring AEDs to serve all the public schools in a community, or the entire town. If the objective is more strategic placement of existing AEDs, or to increase the number of citizens trained in CPR and the use of AEDs, the mission statement will look more different still.
In most communities, the core goals will be to:
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Increase public awareness about the life-saving advantages of a strong cardiac chain of survival (i.e. early EMS access, early CPR and early defibrillation).
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Promote more layperson CPR and AED training in the community
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Persuade government officials to elevate the proposed community AED program to the top of their political agendas
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Help generate funding; and
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Ensure that all first-responding personnel (EMS and paramedics) are trained and equipped with AEDs
Develop a statement of need
In addition to a mission statement, the committee should also develop a Statement of Need, which the committee will use both as part of its checklist in developing and implementing its AED program and as a stand-alone document in its public awareness and funding campaigns.
The Statement of Need should address the goals the committee has identified, and, in general, include the following:
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A description of Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA)
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Statistics on the number of SCA cases in your community and the survival rates for treatable (ventricular fibrillation/ventricular tachycardia) cases (For figures, check with the EMS coordinator in your community. If statistics are not available, estimate).
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References to successful AED programs implemented in other communities like yours
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Arguments on why the proposed AED program is critical for your community and should be supported.
For a sample statement of need, click here.
