The P.E.I. Heart and Stroke Foundation is trying to figure out the best place to put eight new defibrillators on the Island.

The foundation has secured the funding to buy the defibrillators this year, and wants to put them where they'll do the most good.

The Heart and Stroke Foundation has asked Island EMS to help it come up with criteria.

Matt Crossman, the general manager of Island EMS, said there are a number of things to consider.

"One is, is it a populated area where a lot of people over the age of 50 are going to be located? If it is, are there specific locations or activities at these locations that those individuals are performing that puts them at risk for sudden cardiac arrest?" he said.

The foundation will soon start accepting applications from groups and businesses which would like to have the new defibrillators. It will then grade those based on the criteria.

The Heart and Stroke Foundation is also compiling a list of where defibrillators are located on P.E.I., which it plans to make available to 911 operators, so they can share the information with callers.

"Early defibrillation, generally under five minutes or sooner, really improves the chances of that person surviving an event," said Crossman.

Last week, Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced his government was following through on an election promise to put defibrillators in hockey arenas all across the country.

But little of that $10 million is likely to be spent on P.E.I. Thanks to provincial funding programs, Island hockey rinks already have defibrillators.

However, P.E.I. might receive money to help maintain some of the units it already has, or provide the necessary CPR training so staff know how to use them.