The Danish Resuscitation Council published ten recommendations on Monday for how defibrillators in Denmark should be bought, placed and maintained. The central message is that the devices must be reachable 24 hours a day, all year round.
Dansk Råd for Genoplivning issued the ten-point list on August 17, 2026, as reported by Avisen Danmark via Ritzau. The advice is aimed at private individuals, housing associations, companies and other organizations that own or plan to buy a defibrillator.
According to the council, a defibrillator should be possible to collect at any hour on any day of the year. One suggested solution is a cabinet mounted on the outside of a building. The council also states that devices should not be placed behind a lock or require an access code.
Purchase, signage and registration
The recommendations cover the buying process as well. Buyers are advised to choose an approved device with correct CE marking and an authorized supplier that can deliver spare parts, service and maintenance. The council adds that a defibrillator should have Danish voice prompts and work reliably in the conditions where it will be placed.
Placement should be marked with internationally standardized signage, per the council. Each device should carry the owner’s name, address and telephone number, and be registered in the national Hjertestarter-Netværket database. The council also recommends that owners check for error messages, preferably more often than once a week.
An annual professional check is the ninth point on the list. Battery, electrodes, storage and placement should all be reviewed, for example through a service agreement. The final recommendation is that people who regularly move around the area know the device exists, and ideally are trained in CPR and its use.
Why the advice comes now
BT reports that the council published the ten recommendations on Monday as a targeted effort to improve access to defibrillators and guide citizens who buy them. The outlet notes that the initiative comes amid concerns about the accessibility and upkeep of the growing number of privately installed devices.
Background reporting from Sundhedsmonitor in June 2025 described worries about defective defibrillators and the absence of official national guidelines for maintaining the thousands of devices in Denmark. The council’s list is expert guidance rather than binding regulation.
Sundhedsstyrelsen, the Danish Health Authority, states on its information pages that early CPR and defibrillation significantly increase survival after cardiac arrest. The authority also notes that publicly accessible defibrillators should be easy to find and registered. Practical questions about emergency equipment and coverage often overlap with Danish healthcare rules for residents and visitors.
Dansk Råd for Genoplivning lists improving survival after cardiac arrest as its core purpose, and has previously campaigned for more correctly placed and registered devices in connection with Hjertestarterdagen.
