Frequently asked questions on Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs)

AEDs are portable electronic medical devices which monitor heart rhythms and deliver assisted electrical shock (‘defibrillation’) to counteract sudden cardiac arrest.

AEDs can be used by anyone and require no training. When you call  Triple Zero (000) in a cardiac emergency, an Emergency Medical Dispatch team will direct you to a nearby AED if available through the steps to use the AED until a crew arrives.

When someone suffers a cardiac arrest, they collapse and can stop breathing normally. The heart is no longer efficiently pumping blood to vital organs in the body. This is where the community can make an extraordinary difference.

For every minute that we delay defibrillation, the chances of the person surviving a cardiac arrest decreases by 10%. The early use of a defibrillator by members of the public can significantly increase a person’s chances of survival.

Preventive Health SA is providing grant funding of $1,000 to assist not-for-profit community and sporting organisations with the purchase of an AED, if they meet certain eligibility criteria.

To stay up to date on future grant rounds, visit the Preventive Health SA website.

The Act requires all AEDs installed in accordance with the Act to be registered on the South Australian AED Register within two weeks of installation. AEDs can be registered on the SA Ambulance Service website. When registering your AED you must record the:

• location of the AED; and
• time during which the AED is accessible by the public.

If your AED is registered and you need to change its location and/ or times during which it is accessible, you must update the information recorded in the AED Register within two weeks of the change.

When someone calls Triple Zero (000) for a cardiac emergency, SA Ambulance Service can use the register to advise them of the nearest AED.

For questions specifically about AED registration, please email health.saasaedregister@sa.gov.au

The AED Register Checker lists publicly accessible AEDs that are registered on the South Australian AED register.

This is presented in PDF format which can be searched by using the search field in your PDF viewer or right-clicking to show the ‘find’ option. Search on your exact address or your suburb/town.

The Act defines  ‘publicly accessible floor area’ as parts of a building or facility that, during operating hours, are accessible to the public to move around in, while open to the public. This includes areas that require payment to enter. For example, if office building that has a foyer that is accessible to the public, however, entry past the foyer requires key card access, then only the foyer space would be considered publicly accessible.  

More specifically if:

• only part of the building is open to the public, only that part is defined as ‘publicly accessible floor area’
• the whole building is open to the public, then the entire accessible area is defined as ‘publicly accessible floor area’.

Yes, if a building is required to have an AED installed under the Act, the requirement still applies even if the building is not open to the public 24/7.

For example, a place of worship is a prescribed building that must have one AED installed, even though it may only be open for a limited period of time during the week. When registering the AED, it is important to register the accessibility and availability of the AED throughout the week. For example, Sunday from 10:00 am to 11:00 am.

Under the Act, an AED installed in a building or facility must remain in the same location.

The owner of a building or facility may relocate the AED from one permanent location to another if necessary or appropriate. The owner is also responsible for updating the AED registration details via the SA Ambulance Service website.

Under the Act,  the owner of a building or facility is legally responsible for installing an AED.  Please refer to the AED Best Practice Guide (PDF 418KB) for more information about ownership.  

Only AEDs installed for the purpose of the Act require registration.

However, it is recommended that all AEDs are registered on the South Australian AED registry so they can be found and used in a cardiac emergency. For more information, visit the SA Ambulance Service website.

A prescribed sporting facility is listed as a designated facility in the Act, which means no matter the size of the sporting facility, at least one AED is required.