[jimdecastro]

Originally Posted by MandoMan

In the group of courtyard villas where I live, there are at least two AEDs, and perhaps another one I don’t know about. One is a hundred feet from my door. But I don’t know who has the key. I don’t know who to call. I don’t know if the person I called actually knows how to determine if my heart is beating. The person might be shopping or playing golf or on the phone. I live alone, and my doors are locked. If my heart stops, I’m not able to call anyone. If I have a heart attack but my heart is still beating, will I be able to call 911 and open the door?

Most people don’t realize that even if an AED is used within a couple minutes, there is a high likelihood that there will be temporary or permanent mental impairment, even if the heart stops in a hospital. I think most people don’t know that there is very little chance that even if I had a spouse who knew who to call and the person was home, that the person could reach me in under five minutes, and it would probably be longer. In that case, I am almost sure to suffer brain damage. Where these AEDs are most useful is in places like restaurants, stores, and sporting events. I think having them in neighborhoods is mostly the manufacturers trying to make money.

Call 911. They alert an app your trained neighbors have.