AED for Churches
Determining the best AED for your church or place of worship is no small task. With so many defibrillators on the market, it can be difficult to determine which is best for you. So we’ve done the hard work for you and picked our top three AEDs for churches. Read on to determine which AED is perfect for your place of worship.
Are AEDs Required in Churches?
To determine whether or not the law requires you to have an AED in your place of worship, you need to check with local laws. In Tennessee, there’s no state law requiring churches to keep an AED on the premises. Just because there’s no legal requirement, however, doesn’t mean there’s no reason to have one.
AEDs can make the difference between life and death in the event of sudden cardiac arrest. If your congregation skews older and/or is particularly large, you’re likely to encounter at least one cardiac emergency in your church’s lifetime. Once a person’s heart has stopped, every minute that passes without CPR and defibrillation decreases their chances of survival by 7-10%.
What’s the Best AED for Churches?
When you’re looking to purchase an AED for your place of worship, you’ll need to consider a few factors. Taking the following features into consideration will help you determine the right AED for your church.
Ease of Use
By far the most important feature is ease of use. A good public use AED (the kind you should purchase for public places) should be designed so anyone can pick one up and use it. We highly recommend staff members and volunteers receive AED training, but you can’t always guarantee trained personnel will be near the person having a heart attack.
The best AED for your church should have easy-to-follow instructions, preferably in multiple languages. The pads should be easy to use, and the shock button should have a clear label.
Durability & Ease of Maintenance
You’ll also need an AED that’s easy to maintain. Monitoring the charge of the battery, replacing or recharging the battery, and other maintenance work shouldn’t be a hassle. There should be clear indicators for when the battery’s charge is depleted or nearing depletion, and charging or replacing the battery should be a simple task.
Moreover, the body of the device should be durable, able to resist wear-and-tear while also withstanding any bumps or falls that could come from handling or moving the device.
Easy Pediatric Capabilities
Obviously, any place of worship needs to care for children as much as adults. What some AED purchasers refuse to realize, however, is that AEDs require separate pads for children and adults. Some AEDs don’t include pediatric pads with their device, so it’s important to figure out if they do and—if they don’t—how much the pediatric pads cost.
This is extremely important as younger, smaller children (eight years old and younger, and/or under 55 pounds) require a lower-level shock than adolescents and full-grown adults.
Affordability
Since most places of worship are non-profits, you clearly don’t want to break the bank when purchasing an AED. Be sure to weigh the value of the models’ features versus their costs, taking into account which features you have the most need for.
You should also consider the cost of replacement pads, replacement batteries, and any other accessories you’d like to buy alongside your AED. Even if you don’t purchase these items right away, you’ll likely need to purchase them at some point during your AED’s lifespan. You may end up purchasing them multiple times throughout the years. Especially in the case of batteries, you should take note of their lifespan and shelf life.
Best AEDs for Churches Compared
| AED | Price | Warranty | Adult Pads | Pediatric Pads | Battery | 8-yr. Life Cost | 8-yr Life Cost w/ Ped. Pads | |
| Zoll AED Plus [Best] | $2,100 | 7-year | 5yr ($177) | 2yr ($99) | N/A ($75) | $2,277 | $2,673 | |
| Physio-Control LIFEPAK CR2 [Bi-Lingual] | $1,745 | 8-year | 4yr ($186) | 4yr ($221) | N/A | $2,117 | $2,559 | |
| Cardiac Science G5 | $1,820 | 8-year | 2yr ($69) | 2yr ($102) | 4yr ($395) | $2,491 | $2,899 | |
Top Three AEDs for Churches Reviewed
Zoll AED Plus
The Zoll AED Plus has the unique distinction of providing both shocks and CPR guidance. While any good AED should have instructions about performing CPR, the Zoll AED is the only AED which tracks your CPR and provides feedback. Audio and visual prompts also guide you through the rescue with clear and concise language.
The Zoll AED Plus Semi-Automatic costs $2,100 and includes a soft carry case, a one-piece CPR-D padz, a battery, a fast response kit, and a 7-year warranty.
Physio-Control LIFEPAK CR2
The Physio-Control LIFEPAK CR’s simple and portable design makes it perfect for public use. To further this goal, the LIFEPAK has bilingual instruction abilities. The LIFEPAK uses ClearVoice technology to deliver both English and Spanish instructions when connected to wifi. These audio instructions also automatically adjust the volume to compensate for background noise.
The LIFEPAK CR2 also gains functionality when connected to wifi. These functions include remote monitoring and cprINSIGHT Technology to determine the degree and usefulness of a shock. The device also provides different CPR instructions and feedback for children and adults.
The LIFEPAK CR2 Semi-automatic costs $1,745 and comes with 4-year electrodes, a 4-year battery, a carrying bag, and an 8-year warranty.
Cardiac Science Powerheart G5
The Cardiac Science Powerheart G5 utilizes automatic shock delivery, dual-language functionality, variable escalating energy, and fast shock times. RescueCoach user-paced prompts, also allows for clear instruction delivery and ease of use. It’s advanced technology also customizes energy levels for and allows quick delivery of post-CPR shocks.
The Powerheart G5 also includes Patented Rescue Ready technology, which allows the AED to self-check critical electrical components. Via USB, users can also quickly transfer and review data. There’s also numerous features for durability and ease of maintenance.
The Cardiac Science Powerheart G5 Semi-Automatic AED with Eng/Span Language costs $1,820 and includes a battery, iCPR Adult Pads with CPR Feedback, a Premium Carry Case, and a Universal Ready Kit.
