10.3 CPR, AEDs & When to Activate EMS

CPR, AEDs & When to Activate EMS

Quick Answer: If an adult is unresponsive and not breathing normally, call 911, start chest compressions, and apply an AED as soon as one is available. Follow the AED prompts exactly. Class D training prepares you to recognize cardiac arrest, activate EMS, and perform basic CPR/AED steps — it does not replace formal provider certification or advanced life support.

Why Seconds Matter on a Security Post

Sudden cardiac arrest can occur in malls, hotels, warehouses, stadiums, and office towers — exactly where Class D officers work. Brain injury begins within minutes without oxygen. High-quality CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) circulates blood manually; an AED (automated external defibrillator) can restart a shockable heart rhythm. Your value is early recognition and early action, not replacing the ambulance crew.

When to Activate EMS Immediately

Call or radio for emergency medical services without delay for:

• Unresponsiveness or sudden collapse
• No breathing or only gasping (agonal breaths are not normal breathing)
• Severe chest pain, pressure, or discomfort suggesting a possible heart attack
• Signs of stroke (face droop, arm weakness, speech difficulty — act fast)
• Choking with ineffective cough / inability to speak
• Severe allergic reaction with breathing trouble or swelling
• Major trauma, uncontrolled bleeding, or seizures that are prolonged/repeated
• Any situation your post orders define as an automatic 911 event

Give the dispatcher the exact address, location within the property, what happened, the person's approximate age and condition, and what care is in progress. Do not hang up until directed.

Adult CPR Sequence for Security Officers

Modern lay-rescuer / basic adult CPR emphasizes compressions first:

1. Confirm scene safety and unresponsiveness
2. Activate EMS / send someone for an AED
3. Check breathing quickly (no more than about 10 seconds)
4. If no normal breathing, begin compressions on the center of the chest (lower half of the sternum)
5. Compress hard and fast — about 100–120 compressions per minute, depth about 2 inches (5 cm) for adults, allowing full chest recoil
6. Minimize interruptions; if you are trained and willing to give breaths, use a 30:2 compression-to-breath ratio for a single adult rescuer; compression-only CPR is acceptable if you are untrained in breaths or lack a barrier device
7. Continue until the AED arrives, EMS takes over, the person starts breathing normally, or you are too exhausted and a trained relief arrives

Using an AED

AEDs are designed for trained and untrained rescuers alike. Typical steps:

1. Turn the unit on and follow voice/visual prompts
2. Expose the chest; wipe moisture; remove medication patches in the pad area if needed
3. Apply pads as shown on the diagrams (usually upper right chest and lower left side)
4. Plug in the connector if required
5. Make sure no one is touching the person during analyze and shock prompts — announce "Clear!"
6. Deliver a shock if advised, then immediately resume CPR starting with compressions
7. Continue cycles of CPR and AED analysis until EMS assumes care

If the AED says "no shock advised," that does not mean CPR should stop — resume compressions right away. Children and infants may need pediatric pads or a pediatric key when available; follow device instructions and your training. For exam purposes, know that AEDs treat shockable rhythms automatically; you do not interpret ECG strips.

Special Situations Security Officers See

• Choking adult who becomes unresponsive: activate EMS and begin CPR; each time the airway is opened, look for an object and remove it only if you can see it
• Pregnancy: still perform chest compressions; if possible, slight leftward tilt of the body or manual uterine displacement may be used by trained providers — for Class D, prioritize EMS and continuous compressions per current training
• Wet floors / metal surfaces: move the person to a safer dry area if needed before shocking; do not delay CPR for minor inconvenience
• Implanted pacemaker/defibrillator: place pads at least an inch away from the device bulge
• Opioid overdose suspicion: activate EMS and begin CPR for apnea/unresponsiveness; naloxone may be used only if your agency authorizes and trains you on it

Hand-Off and Legal Context

When fire-rescue or EMS arrives, stop when they ask you to, summarize what happened, and note the time compressions and any shocks began. Good Samaritan protection (FS 768.13) supports good-faith emergency care, but you must still act within training and avoid reckless conduct. Agency AEDs should be checked regularly (battery, pads expiration); a security officer who discovers a missing or dead AED should report it immediately through the chain of command.

Scope Reminder for the Class D Exam

Questions may tempt you to claim full paramedic skills. Correct answers emphasize:

• Early EMS activation
• High-quality compressions
• AED prompt compliance
• Scene safety and PPE when blood is present
• Knowing when to stop (EMS takeover, signs of life, unsafe scene, or valid medical direction through the AED)

You are a trained security first link in the chain of survival, not a substitute ambulance.