You bought the AEDs. Someone promised they would be “managed.” Before you sign anything, it is worth asking what that word means now, because the answer has quietly changed.
The Redefinition
Over the last few years, much of the AED industry has redefined program management to mean software alone. You get a dashboard. You get reminder emails. And once a month, someone on your staff gets asked to walk over, look at the device, and click a box that says it seemed fine.
To be clear, the software is not the problem. A good portal is a real asset. It keeps every device, every expiration date, every inspection, and every responder certification in one place, and it produces the records you will need later. The problem is when the portal is the whole program.
A reminder email does not open the cabinet. A dashboard does not test a battery under load or check that the pads have not expired or dried out. When software is all you are getting, the work, and the responsibility, move back onto you. That is not management. That is a to-do list with your name on it. If something is wrong with the device on the day it is needed, the software company was never the one holding it.
Why the Definition Matters
Sudden cardiac arrest is a clock problem. OSHA reports about 10,000 sudden cardiac arrests happen at work each year in the United States. When one happens, the odds of survival drop roughly 10 percent with every minute that passes without defibrillation.
Waiting for EMS is not a plan. Research published in JAMA puts the average EMS response time at about 7 minutes. Survival for people who wait for that ambulance runs 5 to 7 percent. With immediate defibrillation, it can reach as high as 60 percent.
Run the math and the conclusion is simple: the only AED that matters is one that works in the first few minutes. A device that is “probably fine” is not a program. It is a hope.
What a Real Program Looks Like
Strip away the sales language and a real AED program has four parts. They have not changed in decades. Good software supports every one of them, and replaces none of them.
A named, accountable party. One organization is responsible for the readiness of every device you own. Not a shared spreadsheet. Not whoever noticed the light. If you cannot name who is accountable, no one is.
Hands on the device, on a schedule. Someone physically opens the cabinet, inspects the unit, and tests it as a device, not as a checkbox. A glance at a status light and a real inspection are not the same thing, and the difference only shows up on the worst day.
Records that stand up to scrutiny. When an auditor, an insurer, a state inspector, or a lawyer asks whether the device was maintained, “we think so” is not an answer. A program produces documentation: what was checked, when, by whom, and what was found. Depending on where you operate, state AED laws may also expect registered devices, maintenance that follows manufacturer guidelines, and trained responders whose certifications are current. Those obligations do not pause because someone forgot to log in. A portal is the right place to keep all of it, as long as there is a real inspection behind every entry.
Continuity you do not have to think about. Batteries and pads expire on their own quiet schedule. So do CPR and AED certifications. People change jobs. A program survives staff turnover and busy seasons because readiness was never resting on one employee remembering.
Five Questions to Ask Any Provider
If you are comparing AED providers, or wondering what you are getting from your current one, five questions will tell you almost everything.
One: who actually touches the device, and how often? Two: is that person your employee or theirs? Three: does an inspection mean a full test of the device, or a visual glance? Four: what records do you receive, and would they satisfy an audit or a state requirement? Five: when the device chirps on a Tuesday afternoon, who answers?
Notice that none of these questions is about price, and none of them is really about the software either. A portal is worth asking about. The better question is who stands behind it. If the honest answer to most of these is “you do,” then you are not buying management. You are buying reminders.
The Wall Is Not the Finish Line
An AED on the wall is a purchase. A program is a promise that the device will work when a person is on the floor and the clock is running, and that you can prove it was ready when someone asks. If you are responsible for AEDs across multiple locations, look at how oversight should work when one partner is accountable for every device.
Life Support Systems has helped organizations stay ready for nearly 50 years, servicing devices in all 50 states. Our own approach pairs the AEDTrack portal with our technicians, because the software and the person belong together. If you would like a straight answer about the state of your own program, we are always happy to chat.
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