Defibrillator for town halls and municipalities: equip your public buildings
Town hall, school, sports hall, village hall or stadium: a town hall defibrillator is only useful if it can be reached when needed. We design the set-up building by building, then install, register and maintain it for the whole municipality.
- Building-by-building survey
- Indoor or outdoor cabinets
- One contract for the whole fleet
A municipal defibrillator: think accessibility first
A town does not manage a defibrillator but a whole estate: town hall, schools, sports hall, multi-purpose hall, library, stadium, sometimes a pool or a holiday centre. Each building has its own hours, its own users, and evening use by clubs or private hirers.
A device locked inside a closed building, or with expired pads, is useless on the evening it is needed. The only useful question: at the place and time someone collapses, is the nearest device accessible, signposted and working?
This is the approach we offer technical departments and elected officials alike: a network designed at town level, then maintained over time.
Town hall defibrillator: which buildings are concerned?
Local authorities are not exempt: every municipal building open to the public is an ERP, classified by capacity and activity. The obligation is therefore assessed building by building.
| Your situation | Defibrillator required? |
|---|---|
| Multi-purpose hall, pool, large sports hall or any building in categories 1 to 4 | Yes, since 2020 or 2021 depending on the category. |
| Indoor sports hall hosting sports activities, in category 5 | Yes, if it is open for more than three months a year and receives at least the number of people set by ministerial order (article R. 157-1 of the Building and Housing Code, as amended by decree no. 2025-1167). |
| Care home, residence for elderly or disabled people, municipal health centre, in category 5 | Yes, under the same duration and threshold conditions. |
| Town hall, school, library or village hall without sports activity, in category 5 | Not covered by the category 5 list. Equipping remains strongly recommended, starting with busy buildings or those used in the evening. |
| Stadium, pitch or outdoor playground | Not covered by the list of enclosed, covered establishments, unless the venue is in categories 1 to 4. A device in an outdoor cabinet remains the best answer for clubs and the public. |
Several establishments on the same site, such as a school and its sports hall, may share one device accessible to all (article R. 157-3 of the same code). Every AED installed in an ERP must be signposted, registered in GéoDAE and maintained by the municipality that owns it.
Read our article: town hall defibrillators and the rulesWhich defibrillator for municipal buildings?
In a place open to everyone, any bystander must be able to use the device, and the cabinet must suit the location. Our criteria:
Fully automatic, for every user
An untrained bystander must be able to use it: the Mindray C1A in our packs is fully automatic and guides the user by voice up to the shock.
Indoors or outdoors
A town hall closed in the evening needs only an indoor cabinet; a sports hall, stadium or hall hired at weekends justifies a heated, alarmed outdoor cabinet, accessible 24/7.
A cabinet that protects
An alarm to deter misuse, heating for winter, a spot sheltered from direct weather: the cabinet protects the device, and it is chosen site by site.
Schools and young people
In a school, nursery or holiday centre, the question of paediatric pads or mode arises: at quote stage we check with you which solutions exist for the chosen model.
Where to install a town’s defibrillators?
Building by building, starting from opening hours and who uses it. For a facility used without staff present, the device goes outside, on the façade, visible from the street or car park. For a building closed in the evening, an indoor cabinet near reception is enough.
Several establishments on the same site, such as a school and its sports hall, may share a device if it stays accessible to all within a time compatible with an emergency (article R. 157-3 of the French Building and Housing Code).
- Façade or main entrance, visible from public space
- Heated, alarmed cabinet for 24/7 access
- Standard signage and directions from each room
- One inspection logbook per building
A municipal fleet that is equipped, registered and maintained
Purchase or rental, we install the devices with their signage, register them in GéoDAE and look after them under a single maintenance contract. We also train staff and facility managers.
Purchase
€1,090 excl. VAT
Mindray C1A AED pack: automatic defibrillator, wall cabinet, signage, first-aid kit and maintenance label.
See defibrillatorsInstallation
€99 excl. VAT
A technician comes on site for mounting, regulatory signage and registration in the GéoDAE national database.
See installationMaintenance
From €79 excl. VAT/year
Annual contract: device check, follow-up of pads and battery, intervention report.
See maintenanceRental
From €48 excl. VAT/month
Device, maintenance and consumables included, with a minimum 6-month commitment.
Discover rentalTraining
€490 excl. VAT per group
€369 excl. VAT with the purchase of the defibrillator
On-site session of 30 min to 2 hours for 1 to 12 people: raising the alarm, CPR and using the AED.
See trainingPrice of a municipal defibrillator over 5 years
To budget a local authority defibrillator project, think in cost per device over its lifetime: purchase, installation, consumables and maintenance, or all-inclusive rental. For an outdoor defibrillator, add the heated, alarmed cabinet shown below.
Purchase, over 5 years
- Pack DAE Mindray C1a
- €1,090
- Installation and commissioning by a technician
- €99
- Replacement pads (at 3 years)
- €69
- Replacement battery (at 5 years)
- €179
- Annual maintenance × 5 years, travel included
- From €590
- Total purchase cost over 5 years
- From €2,027 excl. VAT
Rental, over 5 years
- Annual subscription × 5 years
- €2,750 excl. VAT
- or monthly subscription × 60 months
- €2,880 excl. VAT
- Maintenance and consumables
- Security deposit
- €600
Prices excl. VAT. Equipment follows our online catalogue; maintenance is shown as a “from” price, the exact rate depends on the number of devices.
Equipment suited to public buildings
Outdoor Mindray C1A packs for facilities accessible at all times, a heated, alarmed cabinet to protect an existing device, and signage for directions.
Examples of municipal set-ups
Town hall and administrative offices
An indoor cabinet near reception, visible from the entrance, and a short training session for reception staff, the first on the scene if someone feels unwell.
School complex and sports hall
One device shared between the school and the neighbouring sports hall if it stays reachable from both, otherwise one per building, with the paediatric question handled at quote stage.
Community and multi-purpose hall
Hired in the evening and at weekends with no staff on site: a heated, alarmed outdoor cabinet by the entrance, with its location mentioned in the hire agreement.
Stadium and outdoor facilities
Used by clubs outside working hours: a device on the changing room or clubhouse façade, visible from the pitch, registered in GéoDAE so emergency services can guide a bystander to it.
What French law provides
Decree no. 2018-1186 of 19 December 2018 set the timetable: ERP categories 1 to 3 on 1 January 2020, category 4 on 1 January 2021, some category 5 ERP on 1 January 2022. Since decree no. 2025-1167 of 5 December 2025, article R. 157-1 of the Building and Housing Code only covers, in category 5, establishments open for more than three months and receiving at least a number of people set by order, including facilities for elderly or disabled people, health establishments and centres, and enclosed, covered establishments hosting sports activities.
An outdoor AED must be protected by a cabinet that keeps it within the manufacturer’s temperature range; each device is signposted according to the order of 29 October 2019 and registered in GéoDAE. The municipality, as owner, ensures its maintenance (article R. 157-4 of the Building Code and article R. 5212-25 of the Public Health Code).
These pointers do not replace a building-by-building review: each building’s category appears in its safety file.
Frequently asked questions
Does a town hall have to have a defibrillator?
It depends on the building, not the authority. Municipal ERP in categories 1 to 4 must be equipped; in category 5, only some establishments are, such as indoor sports halls or facilities for the elderly, subject to opening-period and attendance conditions. A small category 5 town hall is not covered, but equipping it remains advisable.
Which municipal buildings should be equipped first?
Those targeted by the rules: ERP in categories 1 to 4, then the listed category 5 ERP such as indoor sports halls. Beyond that, think in terms of attendance and use outside staffed hours: village hall rented at weekends, stadium, school group, busy town hall.
Can an outdoor defibrillator be installed for 24/7 access?
Yes, and it is often the best option for a facility used outside opening hours: on the façade, visible from public space, in a cabinet that keeps the device within the manufacturer’s temperature range, as required by the order of 29 October 2019.
How do you protect an outdoor defibrillator from cold and vandalism?
With the cabinet: heating protects the device from cold, an alarm deters misuse, and a visible, well-lit spot limits damage. We offer several outdoor cabinets depending on the site’s exposure.
Is a defibrillator mandatory in a school?
A school in categories 1 to 4 must be equipped. Category 5 schools are not in the list of article R. 157-1, but equipping them is recommended, and one device can be shared with a neighbouring sports hall if it stays accessible to all. Paediatric pads are dealt with at quote stage.
Are there grants for a municipal defibrillator?
Options exist, such as the DETR or DSIL state grants, or departmental and regional aid, but eligibility varies by year and area: ask the prefecture and the département. Our article on grants lists the possible funding sources.
How much does a municipal defibrillator cost?
Count the Mindray C1A pack or its outdoor version at catalogue price, €99 excl. VAT for installation, annual maintenance from €79 excl. VAT and consumables; or rental from €48 excl. VAT per month, maintenance and consumables included. The table on this page details the five-year cost.
How do you manage several defibrillators across buildings?
With a single maintenance contract for the whole fleet, a shared schedule for replacing pads and batteries, a register per building and a single contact. The maintenance rate depends on the number of devices.
How are municipal defibrillators registered in GéoDAE?
Each device installed in an ERP is registered in the national GéoDAE database: location, access conditions, model, serial number, date of last maintenance. We complete the registration during installation; remember to update it if the device is moved.
What steps follow installation?
GéoDAE registration of each device, standard signage, a check register, regular checks of the self-test indicator and replacement of consumables before expiry.
Further reading
Defibrillators by sector
A project for your town?
List the buildings to equip, their hours and their uses: within 24 hours we propose a priced plan, building by building, with installation, GéoDAE registration and maintenance.