Where should I locate our defibrillator and cabinet?

Posted on 26 May 2020

Congratulations, you have managed to raise the money for your defib, and now you need to decide what type of cabinet – or AED box as it is sometimes known –  you might need to house the defib.  Remember, the priority in this is to get the defib to the person in cardiac arrest as soon as possible in order to help save their life.

Just one in 10 people survive a cardiac arrest, and shockingly just 3% of defibs are used outside of hospital, with only 40% of bystanders performing CPR when a cardiac arrest occurs.

We have spoken to a number of first responders about where to position the cabinets and where they currently are.  Unfortunately, some are left to languish in back offices, behind the bar and other such places.

Some are worried about the defib getting vandalised or stolen, and for others, where it’s positioned just hasn’t been a consideration.  If you have invested in a defib, it really is worth making is as accessible to all as possible.

Location options

So where you place it needs to be in a high traffic area, preferably outside a locked building – so have an outdoor defib cabinet.  If its for a community – then the side of a corner shop, a church or church wall near a road, in an unused phone box or the side of a community centre are great ideas.  It is worth canvassing opinion with the community about where it could be positioned.

If it has been bought for a community centre or for a club, please do put it somewhere that is easily accessible – on an outside wall; either locked or unlocked.  If the community centre is locked out of hours, it means the defibrillator has limited access.

Which cabinet?

If the cabinet is to be positioned outdoors, do make sure it is a heated cabinet so that the temperature inside is controlled – protecting the defibrillator.  The cost of electricity is normally less than £20 a year to heat the cabinet (depending on location and weather).

If it is to be indoors, choose one from our range, choose whether it needs to be locked or unlocked, or alarmed.  https://www.turtledefibcabinets.co.uk/defibrillator-cabinets/awc004-defibrillator-cabinet/

We customise the cabinet to your needs – so it can be any colour you want – the most popular colours are yellow, red, green and blue.  Do make sure it is brightly coloured outside and not one that blends in – the point of a cabinet is that it really stands out.  If you are going for a more subtle colour, we also sell signs which you can position high above the cabinet so it can be seen from a distance.

So, to summarise, the more accessible your defibrillator and cabinet the better.

If you have a grant from the BHF to find your defib and cabinet, they request your cabinet is unlocked and accessible, but otherwise the choice is yours.

If in doubt get in contact here and we can advise you.