Field deployment of automated external defibrillators to a Federal Fire Service unit under medical direction of a military emergency service.

Automated external defibrillators (AEDs) have been proven in numerous studies to decrease the time interval from cardiac arrest to defibrillation, thus improving the survival rate for victims of ventricular fibrillation and pulseless ventricular tachycardia, the most common causes of reversible sudden cardiac death. Recent Department of Defense initiatives have mandated increased participation of Federal Fire Service units in the conduct of prehospital emergency medical care on military and other federal installations. This report describes the development and deployment of an AED program for a fire department serving a U.S. military installation under the medical direction of that installation's medical treatment facility. This "first step" in the integration of Federal Fire Services into emergency medical care, as well as potential future military applications for AEDs, are discussed.