Defibrillators in Places of Worship: Rules and Practice

Churches, temples, mosques and synagogues are classified as type V public buildings (ERP, etablissement recevant du public) once they regularly welcome worshippers. Like any ERP, they fall into a category from 1 to 5 based on their maximum theoretical occupancy, calculated in particular from the floor area of the nave or prayer hall.

This category determines whether the requirement to install a DAE (AED), an automated external defibrillator, applies. French law 2018-527 and its implementing decree 2018-1186 set a phased schedule: categories 1 to 3 equipped since 1 January 2020, category 4 since 2021, some category 5 facilities since 2022. A large cathedral or mosque that can welcome several hundred worshippers often crosses the category 3 or 4 threshold, while a small rural chapel remains in category 5.

Outside regular services, a place of worship sees attendance spikes during major religious festivals, weddings, baptisms or funerals, when numbers far exceed everyday attendance. These moments carry a higher statistical risk simply because more people gather in the same place, often standing for long periods, in buildings that can be poorly ventilated in summer.

The congregation also includes a significant share of elderly people, who remain among the most regular worshippers in many faiths. This demographic reality reinforces the case for suitable equipment, even for facilities that do not cross the legal threshold set by the regulation.

France records around 50,000 cardiac arrests a year, and every minute without defibrillation reduces the chances of survival by around 10 percent. In a large building such as a church or a big mosque, the time needed to reach a defibrillator stored far from the main nave can cost those decisive minutes.

Emergency services generally take several minutes to arrive, even longer in rural areas where many places of worship are located. A device available on site, combined with an immediate call to emergency services, remains the only way to act before they arrive.

The entrance hall or narthex, used by every worshipper, is often the best location, provided it is visible and signed in line with the French order of 29 November 2018 on signage. The sacristy, reserved for clergy, is less suitable since access is restricted during services.

Older buildings, often poorly heated or unheated in winter, require checking the operating temperature range of the unit and its battery. A wall cabinet with thermal regulation prevents cold-related failures in uninsulated buildings, and illuminated signage helps locate the device in a dimly lit nave.

Most places of worship run on volunteers: sacristans, parish council members or stewards during major festivals. Awareness training in lifesaving actions, including how to operate the defibrillator, lets them respond without waiting for a health professional, who is not necessarily on site.

The DAE guides the user aloud through every step, making it accessible to a volunteer with no medical training. Training a group of several people, rather than just one, ensures a trained responder remains available even during services when the usual leaders are occupied elsewhere.

Maintaining the defibrillator remains the responsibility of the operator of the place of worship, whether a religious association, a diocese or an owning local authority, under Article R. 5212-25 of the French Public Health Code. Electrode pads are replaced every two to five years, the battery every three to five years, and a log kept by a designated volunteer tracks self-tests and renewal dates.

Rental, from 50 euros excl. VAT a month with maintenance included, suits an association with a tight budget. Purchase remains an option, with a five-year warranty, delivery in two to five working days and a quote within 24 hours to compare both options based on the size of the building.