Philips' Froman notes a trend in training programs, especially among the nation's police force.

"[The police] are an incredible source of potential AED rescuers," says Froman. "They are often the ones first on the scene of an emergency."

He highlights the Rochester, Minn. Police Department, which has implemented an effective AED program.

"I've had three defibrillator saves, and I obviously look at it incredibly different right now because had we not had these defibrillators and had not been trained with them, I wouldn't have that feeling of actually being an integral part of saving someone's life," said Rochester Police Department's Sgt. Craig Anderson in a video about the program.

But in addition to owning an AED and knowing how to use it, a life can only be saved if a defibrillator is used in time. Those in the industry stress the importance of having enough defibrillators in a facility so one is never more than five minutes away.

"If we can't meet that [time frame] we know we can't save a life properly," says eMed's Wellons. "If [it took us] six minutes, an individual is going to be dead."

AED at home
In addition to defibrillator technology becoming easier to use - an independent study found that sixth graders successfully and quickly used a Philips HeartStart defibrillator - it is also becoming less bulky.

Without the bulk, experts say, the devices are less intimidating for the laypeople likely to use a defibrillator in an out-of-hospital setting. That's a design aspect Heart Sine Technologies took into consideration. Not yet available in the United States, the company has created an AED for at-home use.

"It's smaller and more mobile. It's easier to use. It's designed specifically for the layperson," says Wellons, whose company will distribute the new device when it becomes available in the United States.

Heart Sine Technologies' global marketing manager Marc Lawrence expects the device to be available in the U.S. next year.

In order to purchase the at-home AED, patients are required to have a prescription. The device is currently available in Europe for about $500.

"It's very, very innovative," says Lawrence. "The design is intuitive. The user interface is intuitive. It's non-threatening. And the packaging and price point are where individuals who are at home...really need them."

Patients who have existing cardiovascular or coronary heart disease may qualify for an at-home defibrillator prescription. In some cases, severe diabetics may also be able to get a prescription.

"The primary advantage [to the home unit] is the immediate access to a life-saving device," says Lawrence.

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