New Georgia Law Requires Businesses to Register AED Locations with 911

A new Georgia law took effect July 1 that could make a life-saving difference for anyone in Hart County. Senate Bill 399, known as the Mason Sells AED Coordination Act, requires anyone who owns or maintains an Automated External Defibrillator (AED) to register the device's location with their local 911 center.

The law is named for Mason Sells, a 20-year-old Mercer University student who died after going into cardiac arrest during an intramural soccer game. An AED was reportedly nearby, but bystanders and the 911 dispatcher couldn't quickly locate it. Lawmakers passed the bill unanimously, and Governor Brian Kemp signed it into law.

What the Law Requires

Businesses, schools, churches, and other organizations that own an AED must:

• Register the device's location with the local 911 center (Public Safety Answering Point) before placing it into service
• Notify 911 if the AED is ever moved to a new location
• Notify 911 if the AED is removed from service
• Keep the registered location information current

The goal is simple: when someone calls 911 during a cardiac emergency, dispatchers can immediately pull up the nearest registered AED and direct callers or first responders straight to it. Every second matters in cardiac arrest, and this registry helps close the gap between having a device on-site and actually getting it into use in time.

What Hart County Businesses Need to Do

If your business, church, school, or organization has an AED on-site, here's how to comply:

1. Locate the AED registration form on the Hart County website at hartcountyga.gov, under the E911 department menu or download HERE .
2. Fill out the form with your AED's location and relevant details.
3. Submit the completed form to mcobb@hartcountyga.gov.
4. If you ever move, relocate, or take the AED out of service, update Hart County E911 right away.

Why It Matters

If your business has invested in an AED, this is a simple step that ensures it can actually be found and used when it's needed most. Registering takes just a few minutes, but it could shave critical seconds off an emergency response, and those seconds can be the difference between life and death.

If you have questions about the registration process, reach out to Hart County E911 directly at mcobb@hartcountyga.gov.