[Publib] Defibrillators and "Good Samaritans"

[Reed Winterbourne]

As to the following;

>I believe our county legal experts dealt with the liability issues but
>don't know what they decided. Obviously they thought it was okay to have
>them installed since we have them in several libraries and the other
>buildings.

The "Cardiac Arrest Survival Act", which can be found through a search of 
the 106th Congress at the Library of Congress' Thomas website 
(http://thomas.loc.gov), states the following;

"SEC. 248. (a) GOOD SAMARITAN PROTECTIONS REGARDING AEDS- Except as provided 
in subsection (b), any person who uses or attempts to use an automated 
external defibrillator device on a victim of a perceived medical emergency 
is immune from civil liability for any harm resulting from the use or 
attempted use of such device; "

The source of the above quote is, "Public Health Improvement Act (Enrolled 
as Agreed to or Passed by Both House and Senate)[H.R.2498.ENR]"

So, by all means, get them.  Use them if the need arises and if (God forbid) 
it should fail, you won't be liable and you WILL have tried...

Reed
(Several libraries in my area have acquired AEDs and have trained volunteers 
from their staff in their use.)

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