A new Georgia law aimed at improving emergency response during cardiac emergencies is now in effect, requiring owners of Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) to register the devices with their local 9-1-1 communications center.
The Mason Sells AED Coordination Act, also known as Senate Bill 399, took effect July 1 after receiving unanimous approval from the Georgia General Assembly and being signed into law by Governor Brian Kemp.
Under the law, individuals, businesses, schools, government agencies and organizations that own or maintain an AED must register the device’s location with both their local Emergency Medical Services (EMS) agency and Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP), commonly known as the 9-1-1 center, before placing the device into service.
The legislation is designed to help emergency dispatchers quickly direct callers to the nearest available AED during a cardiac emergency, potentially improving survival rates for victims of sudden cardiac arrest.
In addition to the registration requirement, the law mandates that Georgia’s 9-1-1 dispatchers and communications officers receive training in providing telephone-assisted CPR instructions and guiding callers through the use of an AED.
The law also encourages anyone who may have access to or responsibility for an AED to complete nationally recognized CPR and AED training. Businesses and organizations are encouraged to ensure employees or designated AED coordinators know where the device is located and how to operate it in an emergency.
The legislation also reinforces Georgia’s existing Good Samaritan protections for first responders and members of the public who, in good faith, use an AED while assisting someone experiencing a medical emergency.
The law is named in honor of Mason Sells, a 20-year-old Mercer University student who died after suffering cardiac arrest during an intramural soccer match. Although an AED was located nearby, neither bystanders nor the 9-1-1 dispatcher knew where it was or how to access it quickly. Lawmakers said the tragedy underscored the need for an accurate statewide registry of publicly accessible AEDs to help dispatchers guide callers to lifesaving equipment when every second counts.