AED School Value Packages

Why apparently healthy students are still at risk It is easy to assume sudden cardiac arrest is an adult problem. Sports-related SCA, including a specific mechanism called commotio cordis, accounts for roughly 39% of all cardiac arrests in individuals 18 and under. Commotio cordis happens when a blunt, non-penetrating blow to the chest strikes during a narrow, specific window in the heart's electrical cycle, triggering ventricular fibrillation. It is not caused by underlying heart disease. The student's heart is otherwise healthy. Genuinely rare, but a real planning factor Commotio cordis is rare, roughly 30 reported cases nationally per year, most often in baseball, softball, hockey, football and lacrosse, and most common in early adolescence. Currently available chest protectors are not reliably protective against it. A school cannot assume standard protective gear removes this specific risk. The American Heart Association states plainly that CPR and AED use can improve survival chances. Outcome data for pediatric cardiac arrest is sobering: only 15.9% of children aged 1 to 18 treated by EMS for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest survived to hospital discharge in 2023. Does state law require your school to have one? There is no federal law requiring AEDs in schools. More than 20 states require them in K-12 public schools by statute, and additional states require them specifically for school athletic events even without a general mandate. Requirements change frequently and vary meaningfully by state. Verify your specific state's current requirement directly rather than assuming. Liability protection is not always automatic Some states extend Good Samaritan protection to good-faith AED use only if the program meets specific statutory requirements: training, registration, and regular maintenance, not simply owning a device. This is not legal advice. Confirm what your state actually requires with your district's legal counsel. The coverage gap classroom hours don't show A school nurse or health office is typically staffed during regular class hours. Sports practices, games and evening events routinely fall outside that window, often drawing the largest crowds on campus that week. 1 Athletics and after-hours events Practices, away-game send-offs, and evening competitions frequently have no health staff present at all, only coaches and parent volunteers. 2 Multi-building campuses A single AED in the main office does not meaningfully cover a gymnasium, athletic field or portable classroom building several minutes away on foot. 3 Summer and community use Buildings used for summer programs, community sports leagues or polling stations may have minimal staff on site outside the school year. The dual-age population problem A campus holds both the youngest people this site sells devices for and adult staff, coaches and visiting spectators, in the same buildings. Coverage planning has to account for both populations, not just students. Funding a school AED program Real grant funding exists specifically for public schools. Hopey's Heart Foundation explicitly lists public schools and school districts as eligible recipients for a free AED. The Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation and local civic organizations, including Rotary, Lions, Elks and the American Legion, are also common funding sources for a single-device request. Confirm current eligibility and award timelines directly with each program before applying. Frequently asked questions Is our school legally required to have an AED? Why would a healthy student-athlete need an AED nearby? Does protective gear prevent commotio cordis? How many AEDs does a school campus need? Who covers AEDs during after-school sports and events? Is grant funding available for school AEDs? Are we protected if a coach or teacher uses the AED? Which AED should we buy for our school? Packages ready to mount on arrival Each package ships with the cabinet, pads, battery, signage and prescription together, so facilities staff can install it the same week rather than chasing four separate orders. Full specifications, warranty terms and running costs are on each product page: Defibtech Lifeline AED Value Package, HeartSine samaritan PAD AED Value Package, or ZOLL AED Plus Value Packages. Need help planning coverage across multiple buildings or athletic facilities? Call (855) 286-6384. See all AED value packages or explore AED program management for multi-device tracking across campus.