Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) can save a life.
The State Government is improving access to AEDs across South Australia by making them mandatory in certain buildings, facilities and vehicles.
Buildings owned by the Crown must comply from 1 January 2025.
Non-Crown buildings, facilities and vehicles (for which compliance requirements apply) must comply from 1 January 2026.
If your organisation has a publicly accessible AED, it should be registered so people can find it if there is a cardiac arrest in your immediate vicinity.
To learn more about AEDs or to register a publicly accessible AED, visit the SA Ambulance Service AED Register.
AEDs are portable electronic medical devices which monitor heart rhythms and deliver assisted electrical shock (‘defibrillation’) to counteract sudden cardiac arrest.
AEDs can be used by anyone and require no training. When you call Triple Zero (000) in a cardiac emergency, an Emergency Medical Dispatch team will direct you through the steps to use the AED until a crew arrives.
When someone suffers a cardiac arrest, they collapse and can stop breathing normally. The heart is no longer efficiently pumping blood to vital organs in the body. This is where the community can make an extraordinary difference.
For every minute that we delay defibrillation, the chances of the person surviving a cardiac arrest decreases by 10%. The early use of a defibrillator by members of the public can significantly increase a person’s chances of survival.
The External Defibrillators (Public Access) Bill 2022 was introduced into the Legislative Council on 7 September 2022 and passed both Houses of Parliament on 30 November 2022.
The External Defibrillators (Public Access) Act 2022 (the Act) commenced operation on 8 December 2022. Currently, section 18 is the only operative section of the Act, with sections 3 – 17 to commence on 1 January 2025 for government owned relevant buildings, facilities and vehicles and 1 January 2026 for privately owned prescribed buildings.
The Act provides for the requirements about Automated External Defibrillators (AED) to be available in certain buildings, facilities, and vehicles in South Australia.
An Across Government Steering Committee (the Committee) is being established to oversee the implementation of the requirements of the Act. The first meeting will commence in September 2023.
The Committee will comprise of across government representation, private organisation, and non-government organisation representation to ensure a collaborative approach to achieving the deliverables in accordance with the Act requirements.
The role and function of the Committee is to provide:
Buildings owned by the Crown must comply from 1 January 2025.
Non-Crown buildings, facilities and vehicles (for which compliance requirements apply) must comply from 1 January 2026.
Not-for-profit organisations, including community organisations and sporting clubs will be able to apply for grant funding to purchase AEDs, if they meet certain eligibility criteria. Grant applications are anticipated to open in July 2024. More information about eligibility criteria will be provided on this website closer to the date.
If your organisation has a publicly accessible AED, it should be registered so people can find it if there is a cardiac arrest in your immediate vicinity.
When someone calls Triple Zero (000) for a cardiac emergency, SAAS can use the register to advise them of the nearest AED.
To register your AED, use the link below to go to the AED registration platform. South Australian AEDs are now registered on the GoodSAM platform to improve accessibility.
The registration process includes an option to create a GoodSAM AED account to allow you to update your AED details in the future.
To register your AED, go to https://goodsamapp.org/saas_aed
To check if your AED is already registered, please email Health.SAASAEDRegister@sa.gov.au with the name of your organisation and the street address where your AED is located.
AEDs and other related first aid items can be purchased from organisations that sell first aid, office or medical supplies and AEDs must be Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) approved and registered on the AED Register | SA Ambulance Service .
