Data-Driven AED Optimization Pilot Through CARES + NEAR Collaboration

Unified platform enables emergency response teams, public health agencies, and community partners to view OHCA incidents alongside AED availability.

WHY AED PLACEMENT NEEDS BETTER DATA

Communities need clear, actionable insight to determine where Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) will have the greatest impact. To support this, the Cardiac Arrest Registry to Enhance Survival (CARES) and the National Emergency AED Registry (NEAR) are launching a pilot that integrates real-world cardiac arrest data with verified AED location data. This effort will help agencies identify coverage gaps and optimize AED deployment.

HOW THE CARES + NEAR INTEGRATION WORKS

CARES cardiac arrest location data will be combined with NEAR AED location and status information within the CARES NextGen mapping platform. This integration will allow communities to:

• Identify priority areas
• Model placement scenarios
• Guide investments using actual out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) incidence 

These tools will strengthen planning, support competitive grant applications, and improve public access defibrillation readiness.

BENEFITS FOR COMMUNITIES AND AGENCIES

The unified platform will enable emergency response teams, public health agencies, and community partners to view OHCA incidents alongside AED availability, helping direct devices where they can have the greatest impact and enhance the chain of survival.

LOOKING AHEAD

CARES and the PulsePoint Foundation introduced this vision at the Cardiac Arrest Survival Summit in Phoenix on December 4, 2025. As the NEAR–CARES collaboration evolves, future participants will ideally be able to leverage integrated datasets to support evidence-based AED optimization and bolster community preparedness.

LEARN MORE

Cardiac Arrest Registry to Enhance Survival (CARES)
mycares.net | cares@emory.edu

National Emergency AED Registry (NEAR)
near-registry.org | info@near-registry.org