Public Health - Seattle & King County provides training and education for 3,500 EMTs and First Responders representing 34 Fire Departments in King County. Their mission statement "Helping you become the best through Training, Education & Certification" is just the starting point in providing for the training and education needs of the EMS providers in their community.

Early Defibrillation Program

The overall goal of the Early Defibrillation Program is to resuscitate the greatest number of persons from sudden cardiac arrest. The program reaches this goal by meeting the following program objectives:

- Provide centralized medical direction and program resources
- Provide clear, concise standing orders while allowing the EMT-D/FR-D to utilize sound medical judgment when appropriate
- Conduct consistent, effective, and scenario-based initial defibrillation training
- Provide instructors with current information and effective training tools with annual refresher training
- Maintain adequate skill levels through consistent, periodic continuing education
- Ensure program quality improvement through field event quality assurance and continuous program improvement
- Promote the consistent use of well-maintained defibrillation equipment

The specific goals of the Defibrillation Standing Orders are:

* Ventricular Fibrillation (VF) is to be shocked repeatedly and as rapidly as possible
* Effective CPR is to be performed and interrupted for a minimum time
* Overall patient care and safety are never to be neglected


The Automated External Defibrillation training course requires approximately four hours of classroom and practical training, provided by King County EMS (or a fire department local course director that has been approved by KCEMS). Practical training for this course is scenario based. The EMT-D is required to attend a defibrillation Continuing Education (CE) session during each quarter of a twelve-month period.

The Defibrillation Quality Assurance Coordinator reviews recordings of field cardiac arrest events. An assessment of the overall performance for each VF case reviewed, including any noted areas requiring improvement or additional training, is sent to the agency's Training Officer (or other designated person). When trends or frequently observed performance concerns are noted during event recording reviews, the Training Coordinator is informed of such concerns, in order to identify methods of improving performance throughout the program.

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