I am pleased to announce that the FAA has awarded a contract to Emergency University, Redwood City, CA to provide automated external defibrillators (AEDs) for FAA facilities. The total contract value, including base year plus four option years is approximately $4.6 million.
AEDs are medical devices used to restore normal heart rhythm in cases of sudden cardiac arrest. Because advances in technology have made AEDs easier to operate, trained people can now use them to save lives, even without extensive medical education. Programs that provide AEDs for use by non-medical personnel are known as Public Access Defibrillation (PAD) programs. Although AEDs are not required in Federal facilities, we in the FAA have chosen to provide them as an additional measure of protection for our employees.
A joint labor/management workgroup developed the proposal for PAD program implementation in the FAA. Labor unions that participated in that workgroup included the National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA), the Professional Aviation Safety Specialists (PASS), the Association of Federal, State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) and the National Association of Government Employees (NAGE). The workgroup collected and analyzed extensive data to ensure that the program they recommended would meet the guidelines published by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the General Services Administration (GSA).
The contract we are announcing today will provide the AEDs, training, medical oversight, tracking, and replacement parts to fully meet the HHS/GSA Guidelines. During the first year, Emergency University will provide PAD programs to all facilities where 50 or more FAA employees work. Subsequently, the programs will be evaluated to determine feasibility of expansion to facilities with 10 to 49 employees.
"Emergency University is very pleased to assist the FAA in implementing their comprehensive life-saving program" said Dr. Odelia Braun, Medical Director of Emergency University. "Training in emergency skills differs from training in non-emergency topics. Individuals responding to an emergency are under significant stress, and will remember only a few basic principles. Our nationally accredited blended training programs instill confidence by utilizing an interactive, multi-media experience that can be frequently reviewed in conjunction with a streamlined hands-on skills validation class. Our virtual AED enables the trainee to visualize and understand why he or she is performing the skill. A confident rescuer is more likely to perform the skill and save someone's life. . . our ultimate goal."
I appreciate the collaborative work that developed this program, which demonstrates our commitment to protecting our employees. The team process that got us to this point shows what we can accomplish when we all work together toward our mutual goal.
Thomas T. Holloway, Ph.D.
Manager, National Employee Safety Performance Office of Human Resource Management