In many Drenthe municipalities, not everyone lives as close to an automatic external defibrillator (AED) as they should. This is better in order in more densely populated regions, such as the Randstad. However, there are relatively more volunteers in Drenthe willing to switch on the defibrillator and respond to a report of cardiac arrest.
This is evident from figures from HartslagNu, the national call system for resuscitation. (location) data of more than 25,800 AEDs are registered here.
According to the Heart Foundation, 500 meters is the distance within which an AED must be present. Drenthe and Friesland are the provinces where the coverage ratio is the lowest. About a fifth of residents do not live within 500 meters of an AED.
Within our province, the municipality of Assen is in the best position, De Wolden and Borger-Odoorn are at the bottom of the list. There, a third of residents are not assured of an AED within 500 meters of their home.