AED advice and buying guides
Pricing, regulations, servicing, rental or purchase: practical answers written by our team so you can equip your site with confidence.
Mandatory defibrillators in French workplaces and public buildings: what the law says
Categories concerned, deadlines, signage, GéoDAE registration and penalties: the complete regulatory guide.
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DAE, DEA, DSA: what are the differences?
DEA, DSA, DAE: definitions, comparison table, common myths and French regulations to help you choose the right defibrillator for your premises.
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Lifespan of a defibrillator, its electrode pads and batteries
How long do a DAE (AED), its pads and its battery last? Component lifespans, self-tests, real maintenance costs and the operator's legal duties.
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How to choose a defibrillator: the complete buyer's guide
Fully automatic or semi-automatic, indoor or outdoor, total budget, pitfalls to avoid and GeoDAE registration: every criterion for choosing well, plus a final checklist.
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Renting or buying a defibrillator: which option should you choose?
Buying or renting a defibrillator: an honest comparison of five-year costs, maintenance, consumables, typical profiles and the key questions to ask before deciding.
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How much does a defibrillator cost in 2026? Real prices, consumables and rental
Real defibrillator prices in 2026: DAE (AED) units from 350 to 2,395 euros, pads, batteries, total cost over 4 to 5 years, rental from 50 euros excl. VAT a month, quote within 24 hours.
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Grants and funding options for a defibrillator
Councils, associations and businesses: how to fund a defibrillator in France (DETR, DSIL, local sponsorship, shared units) plus rental from 50 euros excl. VAT per month.
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Registering your defibrillator on Geo'DAE and signposting it correctly
How to register a DAE (AED) on the French national Geo'DAE database and signpost it to standard: who registers, what information is needed, which signs to display and when to update.
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Defibrillators in care homes: equipping and training before the AFGSU deadline
The DGOS-DGCS 2026/12 circular extends AFGSU first-aid training to the care sector. How a care home organises training, sites its defibrillator and keeps its records.
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Defibrillators in category 5 ERP venues: obligations and shared units
Small shops, clinics, restaurants and community halls: which category 5 French public-access buildings (ERP) need a defibrillator, since when, and how to share one unit across a site.
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CE marking and the MDR: checking that a defibrillator is compliant
Regulation (EU) 2017/745 places defibrillators in class III. CE marking, notified body, transition until 31 December 2027: what every buyer should check.
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First aid training: what the arrêté du 7 juillet 2026 (order of 7 July 2026) changes
The arrêté du 7 juillet 2026 replaces first aid recommendations with binding national technical references. Here is what changes for your GQS, PSC and PSE training sessions.
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Maintenance and medical device vigilance: the duties of a defibrillator operator
Maintenance log, self-tests, electrode expiry dates and reporting to the ANSM: what the French Code de la sante publique actually requires from a defibrillator operator.
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Who is allowed to use a defibrillator in France, and with what legal protection
The 2007 decree, citizen rescuer status, training and liability: what French law actually says about using an automated external defibrillator (AED).
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2025 resuscitation guidelines: what changes for your DAE (AED)
ILCOR CoSTR 2025 and the ERC Guidelines 2025 unveiled in Rotterdam: what these international recommendations change in practice for anyone operating a defibrillator.
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Safety register and defibrillator: what to record and how often
Safety register, device file, self-test readings, electrode and battery expiry dates, Geo'DAE listing: the full documentary trail for a DAE (AED) in a French public-access building.
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Indoor or outdoor AED cabinet: how to choose
Indoor or outdoor cabinet for a defibrillator: differences, real prices, alarm and heating, to protect the device and meet accessibility rules in public buildings.
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Defibrillators in Schools: Requirements and Pediatric Pads
Schools, middle schools and high schools are public buildings like any other. AED category rules, choosing pediatric pads, staff training and the real budget to plan for.
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Defibrillators for sports clubs: rules and equipment
Gyms, sports grounds and fitness clubs welcome the public and must carry a defibrillator: rules, choosing the right device, placement and upkeep for a sports club.
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AEDs in the Workplace: Employer Duties in France
Offices, headquarters, workshops: which French companies must install a defibrillator, how to signal it, who to train among staff, and what to budget.
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Defibrillators in Hotels: Obligations and Best Practices
A hotel welcomes very different guests around the clock. Obligations by ERP category, where to install the unit, staff training and budget: the full picture for hotel businesses.
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Cardiac arrest: life-saving steps and chain of survival
Recognising cardiac arrest, calling for help, compressing and defibrillating: the chain of survival explained step by step, with common misconceptions to avoid.
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Defibrillators for town halls and local authorities: the rules
Town hall, gymnasium, community hall, library: each municipal building has its own AED obligations. Timeline, GeoDAE registration and maintenance explained.
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Defibrillators in Shops: Legal Duties and Best Practices
Does a shop have to install a defibrillator? ERP categories concerned, choosing the device, signage, budget and staff training in stores.
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AED used: the procedure to follow after an intervention
Electrodes, battery, safety log, putting the device back into service: here are the steps to take after an AED has been used during a cardiac arrest, so it stays ready.
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Who to train in lifesaving skills, and how often
Awareness sessions or first-aid certification, priority staff, refresher schedules: how an organisation builds a training plan around its defibrillator.
Read the articleAED Signage: Required Signs and Directional Markers
Signs, pictogram, directional markers: what the French order of 29 November 2018 requires so a bystander can locate a defibrillator within seconds.
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Used or Refurbished Defibrillator: What to Check
Buying a used or refurbished defibrillator: what to check before you buy, the maintenance duties that stay the same either way, and alternatives such as rental.
Read the articleCardiac arrest: common myths about defibrillators
Mandatory training, dangerous shocks, a heart that restarts: these myths still delay action during a cardiac arrest. Here is what actually happens.
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Defibrillators in Apartment Buildings: Rules and Best Practices
Residential building in France: is a co-owned property (copropriete) required to install a defibrillator? Building classification, the owners' vote and upkeep, explained.
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Defibrillator self-test: reading the indicator light
Green, red or off: understanding the AED's daily self-test, reacting to an alert and knowing when to call in maintenance.
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Where to install a defibrillator for fast access
Entrance hall, corridor, multiple floors, indoor or outdoor: the practical criteria for choosing where to install a defibrillator and cut the delay before the first shock.
Read the articleConnected defibrillator: what changes vs a standard model
A Wi-Fi AED (automated external defibrillator) or a remote connection module: what a connected defibrillator really changes for maintenance, alerts and the operator's obligations.
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Defibrillator in a medical practice: what are the obligations?
A medical, dental or allied health practice is a public-receiving site. A clinician's training does not replace the AED requirement: obligations, shared devices and equipment choices explained.
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