It’s sad to say but theft of emergency defibrillators is in the news more often than not these days. These devices are absolutely vital when it comes to saving lives and communities come to rely on them once they’re installed. Such thefts can have devastating impacts on people’s lives, but this doesn’t seem to stop others from making off with the AEDs.

It’s thought that the stolen units are being stripped and sold for parts, with many of the spares popping up for sale on sites like eBay. It’s important to emphasise that this equipment is for saving lives and they don’t have much use beyond that for anyone, so consider putting up a sign when installing your device reminding people just why it’s there and what it’s for.

One of the best ways of protecting your defibrillator from theft is by investing in a cabinet so that you can keep it secure. These are typically made from transparent plastic so that the entire bit of kit can be seen but it’s completely protected from vandalism.

Some of them also come with a red stop sign on the top of the cabinet and if the machine is removed, strobing LEDs and a siren come on to sound the alarm, which can only be turned off using the key that came with the machine itself.

You can only hope that there aren’t people in your area who are selfish enough to consider stealing the local defibrillator, but just in case make sure that you protect it as best you can.

For defibrillator training courses; come see what we have on offer here at Martek Lifecare.