How a school gets a defibrillator (AED) in 2026

More and more schools, clubs and academies want to get a defibrillator (AED). It makes sense: in a sudden cardiac arrest, fast defibrillation is the closest thing there is to a "reset button" for the heart. The question we hear most often is entirely practical: how do we get one, and ideally at no cost?

Below are the four routes available in Greece today and — just as important — what it takes for the defibrillator to actually save a life, rather than sit forgotten on a wall.

Route 1: The Ministry of Education programme

If it's a public school, this is the first thing worth checking. The Ministry of Education has announced a programme to equip schools with defibrillators — 10,000 devices in total for the country's schools — rolled out gradually over successive school years.

Distribution is central, so a school does not "apply" on its own. What makes sense is to ask your Regional Education Directorate whether and when your unit is covered. This route concerns public schools and covers them gradually — it does not apply to sports clubs, academies, tutoring centres, language schools or private institutions.

Route 2: Your municipality

Many municipalities place defibrillators in schools and public spaces in their area. A request to the municipality — especially if backed by the parents' association — often gets a response, as it fits into wider safety and prevention programmes. Approach the relevant municipal department (usually Social Policy or Education).

Route 3: Donation or sponsorship

This is perhaps the most common route in practice. A parents' association, a local business, a foundation, or even a group contribution by parents can cover the cost of a defibrillator. The cost of the device starts at a few hundred euros and depends on the model.

When you ask for a donation, it helps to be specific: state that you need a device that can be used on both an adult and a child and that has Greek voice prompts, and that beyond the device there is also a servicing cost (see below). That way the donor knows exactly what they are offering.

Route 4: The training route — Double Score

If you are an organisation not covered by the state programme (a club, academy, tutoring centre, language school, cultural association or private school), or if you want the defibrillator to come with people who know how to use it, there is the Life Support Hub Double Score programme.

The idea is simple: the organisation invests in certified training for its members and, in return, gets a defibrillator that stays permanently on its premises for free. It runs as one seminar for 100 students over 14 (€15 per student) or for 50 adults (€30 per person), with official Basic Life Support (BLS) certification from the European Resuscitation Council. On completion, the defibrillator is handed over to the organisation.

It's not a promise — it's already happening. Since October 2025, four schools now have a defibrillator in their corridors that they didn't have before: the 13th and 21st Primary Schools of Agios Dimitrios, the 2nd Primary School of Elliniko and the 3rd Primary School of Argyroupoli.

Full details and the expression-of-interest form: Double Score programme.

The device alone is not enough

Whichever route you choose, the defibrillator is the start, not the finish. To be truly useful, it also needs:

• The right device: usable on both an adult and a child, with Greek voice prompts.
• A cabinet and signage: a protective cabinet and clear signage, so it can be found immediately.
• A location: known, central and accessible, ideally reachable outside opening hours, since a school sits at the centre of its community.
• Servicing: the battery and the electrodes have expiry dates. Someone has to track and replace them — it's an ongoing cost for the organisation.
• Trained people: a defibrillator delivers when enough people know it exists, where it is, and are not afraid to open it. Without that, even the best device is underused.

Put it on the map

Once you have a defibrillator, register it on an open map, so a passer-by can also find it in an emergency near your premises. How to do it, step by step: Where is the nearest defibrillator.

Remember one thing

Choose the route that fits your organisation: public school — check the state programme and the municipality first; club, academy or private institution — donation and Double Score are the most direct routes. And remember that the device saves lives only when there are trained hands around it.

This article is for information only and does not replace hands-on training.