Objective: To assess the spread of automated external defibrillators and their use by non-medical first responders in Finland.
Methods: A structured survey was mailed to all voluntary and ordinary fire brigades in Finland. The questions were related to the purchase, experience of use and anticipated benefits from the devices.
Results: Approximately 90% of all users (133 providers) in the target group of non-medical first responders answered. The number of automated external defibrillators in use by these operators has increased progressively since 1992. Most respondents possessed only one automated external defibrillator, and a median of 12 users were trained to use each device. A total of 85% of the respondents retrained at least once a year, and 94% checked the device on a daily basis. Half of the users had written authorization to use the automated external defibrillator, and two thirds had written instructions on how to operate it. Each automated external defibrillator was used on average five to 10 times annually. Although none of the respondents could provide data on how many cardiac arrests they had attended or the success of resuscitation during the preceding year, 94% reported that they considered the automated external defibrillator useful, and 80% thought that the cost-benefit of the device was either very good or good.
Conclusion: Although there are many automated external defibrillators in use by non-medical first responders in Finland, the results of this study show that there are large variations between individual fire brigades regarding the use of these devices as part of the first response system. This is considered to be caused by the lack of national standards and regulations, which should define a full integration of first-responder programmes into the emergency medical service system.