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Newport News Police Department - Administrative Manual
ADM-530 - AUTOMATED EXTERNAL DEFIBRILLATOR
Amends/Supersedes: (06/26/2019) Date of Issue: 11/21/2022
I. GENERAL
The emergency ministration of first aid and use of an Automated External Defibrillator (AED) to save the
life of the recipient are protected as set out in Commonwealth of Virginia Code §8.01-225 (commonly
referred to as “The Good Samaritan Act”).
II. DEFINITIONS
A. Automated External Defibrillator: A portable medical device can check a person’s heart rhythm and
recognize if that rhythm requires a shock during cardiac arrest. AEDs have been shown to decrease
cardiac-related mortality when used by trained persons and used in conjunction with cardiopulmonary
resuscitation (CPR). The following considerations apply:
1. An AED will not shock a heart that does not need it.
2. The AED should only be used to treat victims who experience sudden cardiac arrest; (i.e., those
who are unconscious, without a pulse, and not breathing).
B. First Responder: A person trained at a minimum in basic life support and the use of a defibrillator
who attends a potentially life-threatening emergency.
C. Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR): An emergency lifesaving procedure that manually applies
chest compression and ventilations to allow oxygenated blood to circulate to vital organs such as the
brain and heart. CPR can keep a person alive until more advanced procedures (such as defibrillation -
an electric shock to the chest) can treat cardiac arrest.
III. AED PROCEDURE
A. General
1. Life-sustaining or resuscitative measures should be performed when needed, including utilizing
an AED.
2. Ideally, the AED should be utilized by a trained AED user. When an AED-trained user is
unavailable, an untrained employee can use the device by following the unit’s voice prompts
and/or instructions.
3. EMS will be notified whenever an AED is utilized to render emergency aid.
B. Emergency Protocol
1. Immediately after observing or becoming aware that someone has collapsed and/or may need
lifesaving aid, the employee will:
a. Contact Communications (by radio or calling 911) to request Emergency Medical Services
(EMS) and confirm the patient’s condition.
b. Evaluate the safety hazards on the scene; and
c. Request additional assistance, including requesting an AED if the employee does not have
ready access to one.
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