BYU-Idaho student locates AEDs for app

One BYU-Idaho Emergency Medical Technician student wants you to know that you can possibly help save a life of someone in cardiac arrest with a free app.

“I took an EMT emergency course and I just fell in love with it,” said Matt Haugen, BYU-Idaho senior.

Haugen has been an EMT for the past six years. He’s seen all types of emergencies, but cardiac arrest is one he’ll always remember.

“There’s a lot of excitement going around you, and it can be scary,” said Haugen.

But while calling emergency services is important during a cardiac arrest: “With every minute a patient goes without a defibrillation, their chances of coming back to life drops 10 percent,” said Haugen.

That’s why Haugen wants you to know that you can save a life by using an Automated External Defibrillator.

“On TV you see the difibrillators, and AED is a condensed version of that,” said Haugen.

When you open the case: “When you turn on the AED, there’s a voice that coaches you through everything. There’s pictures on the pad. It’ll even tell you if the patient needs to be shocked or just needs CPR,” said Haugen.

“Anybody that can walk can use an AED,” said Haugen.

The challenge is finding one quickly.

“I thought of this idea, and I decided to go look at different apps, and to my luck there was, and one was very user friendly and allowed you to add AED locations,” said Haugen.

Haugen used the “Show Nearby AED” app. All you have to do is download the app, click on “locate AED” and from your location, it will tell you where the closest AED is to you.

Haugen hopes the community will download the free app and help add more defibrillator locations.