The printable AED sign
The sign shows a white heart with a lightning bolt and the letters AED on green, the colors of the international AED sign, with three steps underneath: call 911, start CPR, and turn on the AED and follow its voice prompts.
The symbol is AED Log’s own drawing of the familiar heart and lightning bolt, not the official artwork of the International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation (ILCOR). Following ILCOR’s advice, the sign says AED rather than spelling out “defibrillator.”
AED signage and mounting height basics
Mark every AED with a sign people can see from a distance, and mount the AED where anyone can reach it: the ADA reach range puts the handle no higher than 48 inches above the floor.
- Visible from far away. The American Heart Association’s AED program guide, citing ILCOR, recommends an AED sign that can be seen from a distance, with lettering at least 12 centimeters tall, and checking the signs at least once a year.
- Green and white. ILCOR’s universal AED sign is green and white and can carry an arrow or the letters AED.
- Directional signs at hallway corners help people find an AED they can’t see yet.
- Reach range. The 2010 ADA Standards set a reach range of 15 to 48 inches above the floor, and objects mounted between 27 and 80 inches high can stick out no more than 4 inches into a walkway. They don’t name AEDs, but they’re the common guide for AEDs and cabinets.
Some state laws add signage rules: Indiana’s health club law, for example, requires a sign at each entrance showing where the AEDs are. Read the AED placement guide for how many AEDs you need and where they go.
How to print and post the sign
Print it in color at full size, protect it, post it above or beside the AED, and put the arrow signs at the corners that lead to it.
- Print the sign in color on letter paper or card stock, at 100% scale.
- Laminate it or put it in a sign holder so it lasts.
- Post it on the wall above or beside the AED, high enough to be seen over people and furniture.
- Cut apart the directional signs on page 2 and post them at hallway corners, pointing toward the AED.
- Check every sign at least once a year, and whenever an AED moves.
Keep track of every AED and where it hangs
A sign only helps if the AED behind it is ready. AED Log records each AED’s exact location and checks it every month, along with its pads, battery and cabinet.
- Each AED’s exact placement, with QR labels sorted by location for your walk-throughs.
- A monthly inspection that includes the cabinet alarm.
- An alert when an AED is marked missing or a check fails.
See AED management and QR code labels.