Does My Company Need an AED?

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Last Updated on May 25, 2026 / Health, Safety & Security

Question:

I’ve seen AEDs covered in safety demos and trainings I’ve attended. Does my company need one, and what training do we need to use it effectively?

Answer:

The safety and well-being of your employees and anyone who visits your place of employment should be top of mind for all organizations. There are many tools and resources that can help with your organization’s first-aid and emergency preparedness, including an AED.

What is an AED?

An AED (Automated External Defibrillator) is a portable device that measures heart activity and delivers an electric shock to restore normal rhythm. It can restore a heartbeat if the heart suddenly stops.  Organizations should place AEDs in high-traffic locations.

The American Heart Association reports there are roughly 350,000 cardiac arrests outside of a hospital setting each year. Cardiac arrest is when a person’s heart stops beating, and blood stops flowing to the brain, lungs, and other important parts of the body. The person will typically lose consciousness very quickly, and they will die if responders do not restore normal heart function. Time is crucial in these instances since lack of blood flow can cause permanent tissue damage within three to five minutes of loss of blood flow.  For every minute the body goes without oxygen, the chances of death increase by 10%. Over 90% of patients that receive a shock from an AED within the first minute of arrest survive.

A study recently published by JAMA Surgery showed that the average response time for emergency medical personnel was roughly seven minutes. This time could increase up to 14 minutes for rural areas. This study drives home the fact that the general public can play a critical role in saving lives if they are trained on the basic skills and tools to help those in their community until medical professionals can arrive. Having an AED in your workplace can play an important role in your company’s emergency preparedness and saving lives.

Where can I find an AED?

There are multiple resources that can help a company pick out the best plan for their AED purchase, placement, maintenance, and training. Make sure to ask the manufacturer or seller about the intended use, storage options, maintenance and training requirements for any AED being considered for purchase. Contact multiple reputable vendors to find the best option for your company.

What type of training does my team need for an AED?

Manufacturers design AEDs to be as simple and user-friendly as possible. They often have voice and visual aides to help in their function. Although many states do not require emergency training, organizations are encouraged to provide it. AED storage and display is also an important factor to consider. According to the American Heart Association, over half of employees do not know where they can find an AED in their workplace. Create an awareness plan to ensure employees know where to find the AED in the case of an emergency. Experts commonly recommended placing the AED near the entrance of your building so employees, as well as non-employees, see the device when they enter the building. It is a best practice to have the device marked with a brightly colored “AED” sign.

There are multiple national nonprofit organizations, including the Red Cross and the American Heart Association, that provide online and onsite training to prepare your employees for how to use AED devices. Clark Schaefer Strategic HR is a certified American Red Cross provider of this training as are many local first responder organizations, like fire departments and police departments. Be sure to reach out and find the best fit for training for your organization. Also consider factors such as the size of the company, the costs of the training, the timing of training, and how to create an ongoing training program to keep people up to date in the future.

Is CPR Training Important?

Finally, it is also important to pair AED training with CPR training. CPR plays an essential role alongside an AED. While CPR helps circulate oxygen-rich blood throughout the body, it does not correct the underlying electrical issue causing many cardiac arrests. An AED restores the heart’s normal rhythm by delivering a shock when needed. Because of this, responders achieve the best outcomes when CPR and AED are used together. CPR can “buy time” by keeping blood flowing, while the AED provides the intervention needed to restart the heart. Acting quickly is critical—immediate CPR can double or even triple a person’s chance of survival, and combining CPR with AED use further improves outcomes. Even basic, hands-only CPR (pushing hard and fast in the center of the chest) can make a meaningful difference until emergency responders arrive or an AED becomes available.
Clark Schaefer Strategic HR understands your concerns with the well-being of your employees. Terry Wilson offers American Red Cross Certified CPR / AED Training to proactively ensure employee wellness. Please visit our Health, Safety & Security page for more information on any of these services.

 

“Our team found the CPR training with Terry Wilson from Clark Schaefer Strategic HR to be extremely valuable and engaging. The workshop equipped participants with greater confidence and practical skills to respond effectively in a life‑threatening emergency. Before leaving the session, several team members personally shared how much they enjoyed the class, and the training even sparked important conversations about workplace safety, including the need to add an AED unit. This was a very worthwhile experience for our organization and partners.” – COO, Ohio Environmental Council & Ohio Environmental Council Action Fund

Author

  • Terry Wilson

    Terry is a Training & Development Practice Manager at Clark Schaefer Strategic HR with over thirty-five years of HR management experience and over seven years in HR consulting across industries like manufacturing, transportation, and retail. Terry collaborates with business owners and managers on various challenges, including business planning facilitation, compliance investigations, employee engagement, performance management, leadership development, labor relations, and compliance with federal and state laws.

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