The Ministry of Health in Iceland has launched a project to register every automated external defibrillator (AED) in the country on an interactive map, as reported by RÚV. The move is intended to make these life-saving devices easier to find in cases of cardiac arrest.
According to the Government of Iceland, the new map will show the precise locations of AEDs nationwide, alongside information about each device’s placement and how it can be accessed. Registration of AEDs has already begun, with organisers working to collect as many entries as possible before launching the map to the public.
There are about 3,000 AEDs across Iceland. Owners and managers of these devices can decide whether their AED’s location is visible to the general public or exclusively to the Emergency Line (Neyðarlínan). The registration process is described as simple and is said to take only a few minutes.
The AED registration initiative is supported by the government’s regional development programme, known as byggðaáætlun. The Ministry of Health has urged all owners and managers to register their devices, emphasising that doing so will make it easier to find AEDs quickly during cardiac emergencies.
Background
Sources
- RÚV (first reported) in Icelandic
- Stjórnarráð Íslands (Government of Iceland) in Icelandic
