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Are you looking for money to fund the purchase of your automated external defibrillator (AED)? You’re not alone. Many organizations are searching for grant funding, especially when it comes to purchasing or installing new AEDs to make their workplace and community safer.
Learn more about the process of obtaining grants for AEDs, and what to do once you get approved.
What Is a Grant?
A grant is a form of financial aid that awards money to different entities, most commonly nonprofit organizations. Grants are not loans, so they do not need to be repaid. They’re typically awarded to fund specific projects or initiatives. Both private foundations and government agencies may provide grants to other organizations.
Since fundraising efforts can be time-consuming, grants provide funds for certain projects without planning events, fundraisers, or relying on multiple monetary donations from community members. However, be sure to take the time to research and thoroughly write out your grant proposal. Writing the grant proposal should detail what the money will be used for and why it’s needed.
Grants can be used for many different things, including the following:
- Funding research and development on specific topics or areas of interest
- Providing training programs for your staff to help them deliver better services to clients/customers
- Improving upon existing products or services offered by your organization
Grants can range from funding item purchases, like AEDs, to sponsoring programs. Each agency offering grants has its own requirements that need to be met in order to award the money.
What Is an AED Grant Program?
An AED grant program is a grant project specifically created to help organizations obtain AED machines. These life-saving devices can be expensive but can mean life or death for someone experiencing sudden cardiac arrest.
Sudden cardiac arrest occurs when a person has a dangerously fast or irregular heartbeat. The AED provides an electric shock to the patient in order to return the heart to a normal rhythm. Death from sudden cardiac arrest can occur within a matter of minutes, which is why it’s extremely important to have an active AED onsite. AED grants provide the funding to have these devices on-hand, ultimately saving lives.
AED grant programs can either be specific to purchasing AEDs or general to improving the overall safety of the organization or local community members.
Where to Submit an AED Grant Application
Thankfully, many grant providers know how necessary AEDs are to saving lives; plenty of grant programs for AEDs are available. However, grant availability changes daily. Researching available funding is one of the many parts of a greater grant project.
Grants are often provided by federal, state, and local governments, private funding, public service agencies, or local civic organizations. For example, civic groups like Lions Clubs, Elks Clubs, Kiwanis Clubs, and Rotary Clubs often provide grant funding for nonprofit organizations.
There are specific AED grant applications, but you can also research grant programs with a scope beyond AED. You can apply for grants for safety, healthcare, and training programs that your AED could fit into. They don’t have to be specific about purchasing an AED, as long as it fits within the parameters of the grant.
AED Training
EMS workers and first responders use AEDs often as part of their emergency response. However, anyone can use one. AEDs often provide clear instructions, reading aloud as you go through the process. This way, anyone who has access to the AED can use the lifesaving device. However, AED training is beneficial for everyone.
AED training devices allow users to practice applying electrode pads and using the device. Trainees can practice electrode placement on manikins to simulate an emergency situation.
AED training is often accompanied by some type of CPR training (cardiopulmonary resuscitation). CPR is used in situations where the person’s breathing or heartbeat is extremely low or stopped altogether. The goal of CPR is to alleviate airway issues and restore a heartbeat. Since both situations involve a patient’s heart rate reaching dangerous levels, AED and CPR are often a part of the same training.
Purchasing an AED
When submitting an AED grant application, it helps to know which AED to purchase. There are many different types and manufacturers to choose from. As a trusted EMS supplies retailer, Penn Care has several AED options available.
AEDs Available
Buy Your AEDs & Training Supplies at Penn Care
Submitting grants for AEDs is just the first step in making your workplace or local community safer. Readily accessible AEDs save lives every single day. Fire departments and paramedics arrive at emergencies quickly, but someone in sudden cardiac arrest may not have a few minutes to spare. Having an AED on site that anyone can use saves lives.
Purchase your AED, and any other emergency first aid needs, at Penn Care. Penn Care has been a trusted retailer of EMS supplies for decades, from AEDs and airway management tools to stretchers and ambulances. Get all your emergency medical supplies in one place; contact Penn Care today!
