AED Question,

[Arctickat]

Oh geez...

[MikeEMT]

Problem I see is what about supplies? If you use your AED you will have to reorder supplies, how will they come to you and how long will they take? What kind of AED will you be using? Will it have a manual override? AED's are programmed to shock for only a couple of dysrhythmias and they are not used for traumatic arrest so will the AED be truly useful in where you are going? I am assuming your going somewhere like Haiti where you will be doing more humanitarian type medical stuff and not a lot of trauma.

Here in Seattle we have a company called Remote Medical International and in addition to selling supplies (they have a pretty extensive catalog) they also specialize in third world medicene. They have a whole team of Paramedics and Doctors that they send to other countries. Maybe giving them a call will shed some light on this. They travel with EKG monitors I am sure they can tell you how to travel with an AED. Just a thought.

[DFIB]

Thanks for all of the input everyone.

I took a leap of faith and put the AED in my carry on. The conversation went like this

Security; What is this?

Me: A Defibrillator

Security: What does it do?

Me: It defibrillates.

Security; I mean what do you use it for?

Me: For people with heart problems.

Security: Let me X-ray it again

After running it through the X-ray and calling a couple of other agents to look at it he turns to me and said "Any liquids in your bag?"

Bingo. Question Answered. AEDs are allowed on airplanes in carry on luggage.

@ MikeEMT. No trauma here. Our team is pretty organized and have worked together for years. I simply do not know the building we will be working in and what will be available when we get there. I always expect there to be less than we will need.

I hope we don't need it, but if we do, It will beat having nothing.

Edited June 13, 2013 by DFIB

[Richard B the EMT]

Security let you through, but may not have known what the device was. I'd suggest for the future, if the airline doesn't have an answer if a Defib can go as Carry-On, contact the Federal Aviation Administration, and have a letterhead hard copy of the answer (if yes) to show security, and if need be, the cabin and flight crew.
If you're coming back to the US from a foreign country, I'd further suggest, via that country's embassy here prior to leaving, that you ask them to inquire of their version of the FAA, and request, in both the other country's language and English, a letterhead hard copy.

In general, keep those hardcopy letters saying permission to carry the Defib be kept with your passport.

Of course, all that was just my opinion. It may either not be needed, might not be enough, or will be somewhere in between. I still say ask the FAA, the individual airlines used, the embassy or foreign council's offices, and security working the boarding gates in either direction you're travelling, BEFORE you're scheduled to travel, and carry hardcopy of all affirmative answers with you.

Just mentioning in passing, when NYPD Aviation does medevac flights, they have been known to request the batteries for both the Defib and portable radios, as there is possibility of the helicopter's electronic navigation equipment being interfered with by the medical equipment. I have not heard if they ask for EMS crew's cell-phones for the same reason.

[DFIB]

Richard. Ithink your advce is solid and well thought. I most likely won't go that far up the food chain. In my experience the sharks just get bigger.

I am fixing to board in the trip back after a very successful campagn. Security looked twice at the x-ray but did not even make me open my bag.

I think we are Charlie Mike.

[Richard B the EMT]

If "Charlie Mike" means what I think it means, then Bravo Zulu.