UC Guidelines for Automated External Defibrillators

Effective November 2019
Revised April 2022

In order to help ensure the safety and health of students, faculty, staff and visitors on our campuses, the University of Cincinnati (UC) has a program for Automated External Defibrillators (AED) as part of its overall emergency planning. The goal of this program is to have an AED applied to a victim of a cardiac arrest within five minutes of the system being activated. The AED program is one component of the overall University plan for responding to medical emergencies. 

This program is managed through the Office of Emergency Management within the Department of Public Safety. All purchases and uses of AEDs at UC (outside of direct patient care departments) are governed by this policy.

The primary responsibility for providing AED services to the UC community is assigned to the Department of Public Safety. To achieve rapid response, Public Safety has trained all of the University’s police officers, security officers and fire safety personnel in cardio-pulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and AED usage. All Public Safety marked emergency response vehicles are equipped with an AED. Public Safety’s Emergency Management is tasked with the oversight of AEDs deployed by colleges and other units of the University. 

Members of the campus community should report potential cardiac emergencies by calling 911 on any campus phone, use a campus help phone (blue light phone), or dial 513-556-1111 on a cellular phone. This will place them in contact with the UC 911 Communications Center, who will dispatch the closest personnel with an AED, along with the appropriate Emergency Medical Services, to the location of the emergency.

All members of the campus community are strongly encouraged to learn CPR, so that they are able to provide immediate aid to a cardiac arrest victim. If a second person is available at the scene, they should respond to the main entrance of the building to help guide emergency responders to the victim. 

Colleges and departments are also encouraged to participate in the University’s AED program. To do so, they should contact UC Emergency Management at 513-556-4900, or by emailing pia.washington@uc.edu. In order to comply with Ohio Revised Code 3701.85, there are several requirements which must be met for units who wish to join the AED program.

1. The AED(s) must be ordered through Public Safety.
2. The college or unit shall appoint a program manager for their AED program. 
   • The manager will be responsible to encourage all expected users to successfully complete a course in AED and CPR that is offered or approved by a nationally recognized organization and includes instruction on psychomotor skills and national evidence-based emergency cardiovascular guidelines that are current;
   • Maintain and test the defibrillator according to the manufacture’s guidelines.
3. Maintenance, testing and inspection records must be submitted annually to Public Safety.
4. Maintaining the AEDs, including replacing batteries, pads and other consumable parts as required.
5. Report all uses of an AED to Public Safety, Emergency Management immediately following use. 

MSB/CARE

• At each elevator lobby
• BSL3 lab-secure area-no public access
• CRC gym

Proctor Hall

• 1st floor near men’s restroom
• 2nd floor near room 275
• 3rd floor main atrium
• 3rd floor SIM lab room 312
• 4th floor in room 430

East Utility Plant

• Control room 104

Health Science Building

• 2nd floor hall between 201-215

Kettering

• Ground floor near entrance

Logan Hall

• 2nd floor in room 235-not accessible to public

Kowalewski Hall

• 2nd floor

University Hall

• 6th floor, PD&C-not accessible to public
• 2nd floor of the Foundation’s area-not accessible to public

Holmes

• UHS, at room 4014

Vontz

• 1st floor near main entrance

Alumni

• 2nd floor near breakroom

Central Utility Plant

• 2nd floor near 208

Reading Campus

• Building A lobby
• Building D lobby

Stetson

• 2nd floor lobby
• 4th floor lobby

Clermont

• Snyder near 151
• Snyder 2nd floor
• STU 2nd floor
• STU 1st floor
• Hall way across from Public Safety
• EPJ 00 Student Lounge
• EPJ near 210
• EPJ Library lobby
• SAC North end of building
• MCD 1st floor
• MCD 2nd floor
• WW 1st floor
• WW 2nd floor

1819 Innovation Hub

• Ground floor hall

Victory Parkway Administration

• 2nd floor at elevator
• 3rd floor at elevator

Fishwick

• Police training room 2nd floor- not accessible to public

Edwards One

• 1st floor Arlitt-not accessible to public
• 2nd floor- not accessible to public

Edwards Two

• Floor 3-outside 3355-not accessible to public

Edwards Three

• Lobby
• Floor 2-not accessible to public

Public Safety

• Police, Security and Fire vehicles-not accessible to public
• Police Range, portable-not accessible to public

Lindner Athletics

• 5th floor at restrooms
• 7th floor at restrooms
• Main training room 265-directly inside main entrance- not accessible to public
• 1st floor room 120, weight room- not accessible to public
• Practice Gym 100 level- not accessible to public
• Portable units stored in room 265- not accessible to public
• University Health Services- not accessible to public

Nippert Stadium

• First Aid Room 0111- not accessible to public

5/3^rd Arena

• Floor level, outside concession and men’s restrooms

Armory Fieldhouse

• SW Corner, mounted to wall

Baseball Stadium

• Portable unit room 140- not accessible to public

Gettler Stadium

• First Aid room- not accessible to public

College of Law

• Dean’s suite

Teachers College

• 1st floor at elevators
• 2nd floor at elevators
• 3rd floor at elevators
• 4th floor at elevators
• 5th floor at elevators

Calhoun Garage

• UC Band, mounted on door near entrance-not accessible to public

Van Wormer

• 2nd floor stairwell, right of elevator

Tangeman Union Center

• 200 level at Food Court
• 300 Atrium near Express Mart Entry
• 499N at Great Hall lobby, west wall

West Pavilion

• 300 level
• 3M level
• 4th floor at elevator        
• 5th floor at elevator

CCM

• 3300 House Managers office-opposite box office- not accessible to public
• Scene Shop-Corbett Center- not accessible to public

Lindner College of Business

• 1st floor at elevator
• 2nd floor at elevator
• 3rd floor at elevator
• 4th floor at elevator
• 0 floor at elevator
• Level B, mechanical room at elevator- not accessible to public

Campus Rec Center-gym

• Aquatics
• Fitness Floor
• Gymnasium
• Member Services- not accessible to public
• Intramural Sports-I portable- not accessible to public
• Intramural Sports-II-portable- not accessible to public

The University has chosen the Physio Control LifePak CR2 AED for campus use. 

Why doesn’t UC have AEDs in every building?

The University of Cincinnati has elected not to place units in all buildings as a general approach. With over 100 buildings, and the need to have multiple units in each building, this would be a very expensive and time consuming program to operate. AEDs must be tested and maintained on a regular basis to ensure operability when needed. There was also a concern with the tracking and accountability of hundreds of units. The departments who currently have AEDs were willing to purchase the units and maintain the devices. The current deployments strategy allows us to deliver an AED with a trained operator to the scene within the desired time frame.

Do AEDs always save someone’s life?

There are many causes of cardiac arrest, and unfortunately AEDs are only effective in some situations. They can be lifesaving in those specific conditions, but AED use is only one step in the chain of cardiac resuscitation. Immediately calling for Emergency Medical Services, so that other advanced lifesaving care can be provided promptly is crucial. In some cases, where the AED is not effective, CPR can save a person’s life, so knowledge of how to properly perform CPR is extremely important.

Who pays for the AEDs and supplies?

There is no central funding pool for AEDs, each college or unit participating must fund the purchase of the AED and the ongoing expenses.

How many cardiac arrests occur at UC?

While this number varies, typically less than one cardiac arrest occurs at UC in any given year.