Register your AED
Australian schools are increasingly installing defibrillators to ensure the best health outcomes for their students, staff and communities.
But having a defibrillator on site is only half the solution; without proper registration, these life-saving devices remain invisible to emergency services call-takers when they’re needed most.
Why registration connects your school to emergency networks
When someone calls Triple Zero during a cardiac emergency, call-takers immediately check for registered defibrillators nearby.
An unregistered device won’t show in the online locater system, even if it’s mounted on your school wall just metres from someone in cardiac arrest.
Registration connects your defibrillator to systems like GoodSAM, which alerts trained responders to cardiac emergencies and directs them to the nearest registered device, expediting care while an ambulance is on the way.
Without this connection, your school’s investment in safety equipment cannot reach its full life-saving potential.
Sudden cardiac arrest (out of hospital) survival rates drop by 10 per cent every 60 seconds without defibrillation. In those critical first minutes, an unregistered defibrillator offers no assistance to bystanders wanting to help but unable to locate an AED.
Early defibrillation dramatically improves survival outcomes
When a defibrillator is applied within the first couple of minutes of cardiac arrest, survival rates can reach 70 per cent.
Without early defibrillation, less than 5 per cent of cardiac arrest victims survive.
In Victoria during 2023-24, 141 people were shocked by public defibrillators, with 47 per cent surviving. Yet these cases represented only a tiny fraction of the 7,545 people who experienced cardiac arrest outside hospital that year, where the overall survival rate was just 6 per cent.
Australia records approximately 32,000 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests annually - 25 times our annual road toll. For schools hosting sporting events, assemblies and community activities, having a registered defibrillator could mean the difference between tragedy and recovery.
How to register your school’s defibrillator
Registration is straightforward and ensures your device becomes part of the emergency response network:
1. Contact your state or territory ambulance service to access the defibrillator registry. In Victoria, register via GoodSAM through Ambulance Victoria’s system https://www.goodsamapp.org/AV_AED
2. Provide essential information including the exact type and location of your device, accessibility hours, and how to reach it during emergencies
3. Ensure clear signage indicates the defibrillator’s location in high-traffic areas near entrances
4. Avoid locked units that could delay access. Use cases with simple coded access that emergency operators can quickly communicate
5. Clearly communicate any access limitations during registration. Emergency services need to know if the device is available 24/7 or only during school hours
6. Assign a staff member to check the AED regularly and update registration details if anything changes
Maintaining your registered defibrillator
Most defibrillators perform routine self-testing, making maintenance simple:
· Check the readiness status indicator regularly
· Note when batteries were installed and ensure they remain within expiry dates
· Regularly check pad expiry dates and packaging integrity
· Document your processes around defibrillator maintenance and registration updates
South Australia now mandates registration within two weeks of installation, with fines up to $20,000 for non-compliance. Other states are following this lead, recognising defibrillators as essential public safety equipment.
Building a culture of preparedness
Registration demonstrates your school’s commitment to safety that extends beyond your gates.
It builds trust with families and positions your school as professionally managed and community minded.
Registration transforms your defibrillator from a compliance requirement into an active participant in your community’s emergency response network.