Philips Recall Overblown by Media

By EMS Coordinator Mike McEvoy, Saratoga County

NYSAFC Director, EMS

A recent voluntary recall of certain Philips FRx and HS1 AEDs was considerably overblown by some media sources, according to a Philips spokesperson. The Heartstart FRx, an AED used by many first response fire departments, will emit a triple chirp when the device is potentially affected by the recall issue.

Philips issued an advisory describing the issue that involves a relay that may degrade over time, affecting the ability of the AED to make a defibrillation determination. The advisory is available here.

To determine whether an AED is included in the voluntary recall, the serial number can be entered here.

New York State Association of Fire Chiefs