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CPR and AED defibrillators: how to be ready to save a life

Learn CPR and find an AED: a practical guide

⏱ 3 min read

Course, steps, defibrillator. A guide based on official advice. The same text is in the free SurvivalZone.app and works without internet.

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When someone suddenly collapses and is not breathing normally, minutes count. Their chances usually depend on bystanders who start chest compressions and use a defibrillator before the ambulance arrives.

Most people do not help because they are afraid of doing it wrong. The best cure for that fear is a short course.

A first aid course

  1. A first aid course usually takes a few hours. They are run by the Red Cross, St John Ambulance, paramedics and training centres. Practising on a manikin teaches the most: you feel how hard and fast you need to push.
  2. Guidelines change every few years, so it is worth refreshing your skills.

What to remember

  1. Check whether the person responds and is breathing normally.
  2. Call 112, or ask someone else to, and to bring an AED.
  3. Push hard and fast in the centre of the chest, about 100 to 120 times a minute.
  4. The 112 call handler will guide you step by step.

The AED defibrillator

  1. An AED tells you what to do. You cannot hurt anyone with it, because it only gives a shock when one is needed. AEDs hang in green and white cabinets at stations, offices, shopping centres and more and more schools.
  2. Find out where the nearest AED is near your home and work. You can see them on the help map in SurvivalZone.app.

At home

  1. If someone in your family has a heart condition, talk about what to do in an emergency. Save a medical card with conditions and medicines on your phone, so paramedics have it at hand.

Checklist

  1. A first aid course
  2. The sequence remembered: response, 112, compressions
  3. Nearest AED to home found
  4. Nearest AED at work found
  5. A medical card on your phone
  6. A family talk about emergencies

See also

Frequently asked questions

Can I hurt someone by doing CPR?

Doing nothing is far more dangerous. A person who is not breathing will die without chest compressions. The 112 call handler will help you step by step.

Can anyone use an AED?

Yes. The device tells you what to do and only gives a shock when it is needed.

Where can I find the nearest AED?

On the help map in SurvivalZone.app. Also look for green signs with a heart and a lightning bolt.

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Keep it on your phone

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Sources

Official sources are checked automatically every day. Last check: 2026-11-04.

General guidance only; it does not replace the emergency services. If a life is in danger, call 112.