How to Build a Sudden Cardiac Arrest Response Plan for Your Workplace or Facility

A sudden cardiac arrest response plan turns a frightening, chaotic moment into a set of assignments people already know. By the end of this guide you will have a written plan that names who does what in the first minutes, shows where each AED is, and sets a schedule for practice. Owning an AED is not the same as having a plan, and the gaps usually show up in logistics: who calls, who fetches the device, who unlocks the door.

Before you start, gather a floor plan of your building and grounds, a list of staff and shifts, and the name of someone with the authority to approve training and equipment spending.

Step 1: Assess Your Site, People, and Risk

Walk the building and grounds with your floor plan in hand and mark every place people gather: offices, warehouses, pools, gyms, break rooms, parking lots, loading docks, and any off-site work areas. Note spots that are isolated or noisy, since a collapse there may go unseen for minutes.

Next, record who is on site by shift. Include nights, weekends, contractors, visitors, and customers. A plan built only around the 9-to-5 staff will fail at 2 a.m. or on a holiday, so list the smallest crew present on each shift and design for that number.

Then estimate how long emergency medical services (EMS) would take to reach you, and look for anything that could slow them down:

Locked doors or key-card entrances

Elevators that need a key or escort

Gated entrances or long private driveways

Remote work areas with confusing access

Decide the scope of the plan. Does it cover employees only, or also members, guests, students, or swimmers? A fitness club or aquatic center has a very different exposure than a back-office suite, and the answer affects how many AEDs and trained people you need.

Finally, check which rules apply to you. Some states and localities, including Washington and California, have AED or CPR requirements for certain settings such as schools, health clubs, or public facilities. Requirements change, so confirm the current rules for your setting and location as of 2026 with your state health department or legal counsel rather than relying on memory or hearsay. Write down what you find, along with the date you checked.

Step 2: Place AEDs So Anyone Can Reach One Quickly

Early defibrillation is central to survival, and both the American Heart Association and the American Red Cross stress getting a shock delivered as soon as possible. Treat that as a design rule: the round trip to retrieve an AED and return to the person should be short. Check the current AHA guidance for the exact target time before you put a number in your written plan, then test it by walking the route yourself.

Good placement follows a few principles:

Visible and unlocked. Mount AEDs along main routes, with clear signs visible from a distance. Do not keep them in offices or locked cabinets. If theft or tampering is a concern, use an alarmed cabinet that stays unlocked but sounds when opened.

Covered by zone. A single AED in the lobby does not serve a back warehouse, a second floor, a separate building, or a pool deck. Treat each floor, building, and outdoor area as its own zone and walk the retrieval time from the farthest point in each.

Matched to the people present. Choose a device with clear voice prompts that a stressed first-timer can follow. If children are on site, make sure the model supports pediatric pads or a pediatric mode.

Anyone can use an AED. The device talks the user through each step and will not deliver a shock unless it detects a rhythm that needs one. Say so in your plan and in staff briefings, because hesitation is a common obstacle.

Taylored Instruction sells AEDs and can advise on models and placement for your layout, which helps if you are weighing how many devices a multi-zone site really needs.

Once devices are mounted, register each one with the manufacturer so you receive recall and expiration notices. Where your local EMS or dispatch offers AED registration, register there too. Then mark every AED on your floor plan and keep a written log of its location, model, and serial number.

Step 3: Assign Roles for the First Minutes

Plans fail when they depend on one person. Write a role list that works with whoever happens to be present:

First responder: checks the person, starts CPR, and keeps compressions going.

Caller: dials 911, gives the address and details, and stays on the line.

AED runner: retrieves the nearest AED and brings it to the person.

EMS guide: unlocks doors, holds the elevator, and meets paramedics at the entrance.

Bystander manager: clears space, keeps the area quiet, and redirects onlookers.

Name at least one backup for every role on every shift. On a night shift with three people, one person may fill two roles, and the card should say so. State the one-person rule plainly: if you are alone, call 911 first, put the phone on speaker, and start CPR, then use the AED when it arrives. If an AED is close, you can fetch it, but the call comes first.

The classic mistake is naming a single hero, such as the safety coordinator, who is on vacation or in a meeting when it counts. Assign roles to positions and shifts, not just to individuals, and update them when schedules change.

Keep the role card to one page, with large type and short lines, so it can be read in a crisis. Post it near phones and AEDs. Put the site's exact street address on the card, along with the entrance EMS should use, any gate codes, and the building or suite name. A caller who panics can read the address straight off the page instead of trying to recall it.

Step 4: Write the Response Sequence in Plain Language

Start by defining terms, because people confuse them. Sudden cardiac arrest happens when the heart stops pumping blood effectively. The person collapses, is unresponsive, and is not breathing normally. A heart attack is a blockage of blood flow to the heart muscle, and the person is usually awake and may complain of chest pain. A heart attack can lead to cardiac arrest, but they call for different first actions.

Then lay out the chain in the order people will do it:

Recognize: the person is unresponsive and not breathing, or only gasping.

Call 911 and send someone for the AED.

Start chest compressions immediately.

Turn on the AED, attach the pads, and follow its prompts.

Continue until EMS takes over or the person clearly recovers.

Spell out that gasping is not normal breathing. Irregular, noisy gasps can occur in the first minutes of cardiac arrest, and bystanders who mistake them for breathing often delay action. The rule for your staff: unresponsive and not breathing normally means start CPR.

Include compression basics, but confirm each detail against the current American Red Cross and AHA guidelines before printing. For adults, these are hand position on the center of the chest, a rate of 100 to 120 compressions per minute, and compressions deep enough per the current guideline, with full chest recoil between each. Trained staff will learn the specifics, including child and infant technique, in class. The written plan only needs to remind them.

Finally, write what happens after. Leave the AED attached and powered on. Hand off to EMS with a short report of what happened and when. Secure the area, and keep the used pads and device available, since EMS or your AED provider may need the event data.

Step 5: Train Your Team and Choose the Right Certification

Match the course to the role. A one-size-fits-all class wastes time for some groups and leaves others underprepared.

CPR/AED: the baseline for general staff in offices, warehouses, schools, and retail.

BLS (Basic Life Support): for healthcare workers and clinical teams, with team-based techniques and advanced airway basics.

First Aid: where bleeding, burns, falls, or other injuries are likely alongside cardiac emergencies.

Lifeguard certification: for aquatic staff, who need water rescue skills along with CPR.

Taylored Instruction is both an authorized American Red Cross Licensed Training Provider and an AHA Training Site, so employers can choose whichever certification their regulator, insurer, or industry requires. Healthcare employers often require AHA BLS, for example, while other settings accept either. Confirm what your regulator or licensing body accepts before you book, so no one has to retake a class.

Train enough people per shift to fill your role list, not just one designated responder. If your plan needs a first responder, caller, runner, and guide on every shift, count the trained people on each one. Gaps on nights and weekends are the usual surprise.

Certifications expire, commonly after two years, though the period varies by course and provider. Verify the term for each course you choose, then track every expiration date in one spreadsheet so renewals are scheduled before lapses.

Consider on-site group training. Staff practice in their own space, walk the real route to the real AED, and discover problems such as a blocked hallway or a door that locks behind them. It also builds the shared habits that make a team respond smoothly.

Step 6: Drill the Plan and Fix What Breaks

A written plan is a hypothesis until people run it. Hold a short drill at least once or twice a year, using a manikin and a trainer AED. Make it as unannounced as is practical, for instance by telling only a few leaders in advance, and vary the time, location, and shift.

Use a stopwatch and record three moments:

Time from collapse to the call to 911

Time from collapse to the first compression

Time from collapse to the AED arriving at the person

Debrief right away, while memories are fresh. Ask what slowed the team. Was a path blocked by pallets? Was the AED sign hard to see? Did anyone know the street address? Did the caller reach the right entrance instructions? Let participants speak freely, and treat every stumble as a finding about the system, not a failing of a person.

Look especially for the common failures:

A dead battery or a status light signaling a problem

Expired pads

Locked doors between the AED and the person

New hires or temporary staff with no assigned role

Role cards that name people who have left

Record the results, including times and fixes, in a drill log. Then update the role cards and the AED map, and assign each corrective action to a named person with a due date. Run the next drill with the specific purpose of checking that the fixes worked.

Step 7: Maintain Equipment and Keep the Plan Current

An AED that fails when needed is worse than none, because people trust it. Set a monthly checklist for every device:

Status indicator shows ready

Pads are sealed and within their expiration date

Battery is within its expiration date or shows adequate charge

Accessory kit is complete: razor, gloves, trauma shears, a towel, and a pocket mask

Cabinet, sign, and path to the device are clear

Assign one owner and one backup for inspections, and keep a dated log with initials. Follow the manufacturer's instructions for service intervals and replacement, and keep spare pads on hand if your budget allows.

Review the whole plan on a set schedule, such as annually, and also after any move, renovation, new tenant, shift change, or staffing turnover. Layout changes quietly break AED routes and EMS entry instructions.

Finally, build a post-event process before you need one. It should cover an incident report, notification of your AED provider, replacement of used pads and any other supplies, and review of what worked and what didn't. Responders can be shaken even when the outcome is good, so arrange support such as a debrief, time away from the floor, and access to counseling or employee assistance resources.

Put the Plan on the Wall and the Training on the Calendar

A plan only helps once people can see it. Post the role cards and the AED map where staff will pass them every day, and give a copy to every new hire in their first week. Then put your first drill and your first training date on the calendar with names beside them, so the plan stays active instead of sitting in a binder.

If you need help choosing courses for different roles or deciding where AEDs belong, Taylored Instruction can guide you through both. Don't wait until an emergency happens and get the life-saving certification you need today. Register for a CPR, First Aid, or Lifeguarding class and gain the confidence and skills to respond when it matters most.