From academics to sports to safety, practice drills are an important part of reinforcing skills and preparing for the often high-pressure situations that put these skills to the test — a timed math assessment, a sudden-death round in a sports competition or an emergency situation in a school or workplace. When a sudden cardiac arrest occurs, mere minutes can determine the difference between life and death for the victim. Regular practice drills that test your team’s readiness to respond in a real emergency are a vital part of your workplace AED program.
The Sudden Cardiac Arrest Foundation says conducting a practice drill for your cardiac Emergency Action Plan (EAP) is the best way to find out if your EAP works and ensure your response team is properly prepared. Post-drill review allows you to obtain objective data, and the scenarios provide a realistic framework for your team to work from, the organization notes. On its website at www.sca-aware.org, the foundation provides examples of mock CPR-AED drills such as the one outlined in this article, to help you identify the need for: