A defibrillator within reach: Every NI school now equipped

Education Minister Paul Givan at Ballymoney HS, announcing the full rollout of defibrillators to all schools across Northern Ireland. From l to r: Michael Allen (NIAS), Education Minister Paul Givan, Ballymoney HS Principal Jonny Bingham and Head of British Heart Foundation Fearghal McKinney.

Every school in Northern Ireland now has a life-saving defibrillator on site — a milestone described as “hugely significant” for the safety of pupils, staff and the wider community.

Education Minister Paul Givan confirmed the completion of the initiative, which has seen 476 Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) delivered to schools since the scheme was announced in November 2024.

As a result, all school premises across Northern Ireland now have access to the potentially life-saving equipment.

In some locations, devices will be placed in external cabinets at school boundaries, ensuring they are accessible beyond the school gates and outside school hours — extending their impact into surrounding communities.

Paul Givan said:

“The importance of defibrillators in schools cannot be overstated. Schools are often situated at the centre of communities in our cities, towns and villages. They play a vital role in serving those communities and wider society, both as physical hubs and by equipping our children and young people with vital skills, knowledge and confidence that could potentially save lives.

“The rollout of these devices builds on existing requirements for schools to teach CPR and AED awareness within the curriculum. Together, these practical steps are hugely significant for the health and safety of our schools and the communities they serve.

“Every minute without CPR and defibrillation reduces a person’s chances of survival by up to 10%, so quick access to these devices is vital. By delivering on my commitment to provide these life-saving devices to every school in Northern Ireland, teachers, pupils and the wider community can now be reassured that a defibrillator will be within reach should an emergency strike.”

Education Minister Paul Givan at Ballymoney HS, announcing the full rollout of defibrillators to all schools across Northern Ireland with Ballymoney HS pupils Poppy and Joe.

The announcement builds on wider life-saving training efforts already underway. Since 2022, more than 500 teachers have received training through the Community of Lifesavers Programme, developed by the Department in partnership with CCEA and the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service.

The British Heart Foundation Northern Ireland welcomed the development, highlighting the stark reality of cardiac arrest statistics locally.

Head of British Heart Foundation Northern Ireland, Fearghal McKinney, said:

“Each year over 1,400 people in Northern Ireland have an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest and the survival rate is less than 1 in 10. Having defibrillators throughout schools in Northern Ireland and where possible, being accessible to the wider community, will undoubtedly increase the chance of saving more lives.

“We’ve been working with schools across Northern Ireland to support life-saving training with BHF’s interactive learning tool Classroom RevivR and have provided support and information to the Department to ensure teachers are equipped with all the tools they need to facilitate training.”

Fearghal added:

“It’s vital that every school registers their defibrillator on The Circuit, the national defibrillator network. When someone collapses with a cardiac arrest, the person who witnesses it may not know the school has a defibrillator, where it’s kept, or how to access it.

“When a defibrillator is registered and 999 is called, the ambulance service can rapidly provide directions to the nearest available device. This avoids losing crucial, potentially lifesaving minutes. Registration is quick, free to do, and could help save a life.”

With survival chances decreasing by up to 10% for every minute without CPR and defibrillation, the presence of AEDs at every school site marks a significant expansion of Northern Ireland’s emergency response network — embedding life-saving capacity at the heart of communities.

As schools continue to teach CPR and AED awareness within the curriculum, the combination of equipment, training and community access signals a long-term investment in preparedness — ensuring that when seconds matter most, help is closer than ever.