An AED is a medical device – adapted for use by laypeople - that delivers an electric shock to a heart that is not beating or is beating abnormally. This condition is known as sudden cardiac arrest and is fatal 95% of the time. It is estimated that a person's chance of survival drops 10% for every minute that passes between cardiac arrest and getting the heart restarted.

That's where an AED comes in. It is the only effective treatment for patients facing this dire medical crisis. The special electrical charge delivered by an AED can often correct the heart's rhythm and restore blood flow to the body. The technology has long been used in the hospital setting and has now been adapted for prehospital and layperson use.

 An AED cannot hurt a patient. Once placed on a person's chest, the AED analyzes their heart rhythm and will not deliver the electric shock unless it is medically appropriate. The machine's automated voice commands even instruct the user in what to do every step of the way.