My AED has been deployed, what now?

Written by

Bart de Visser

More than 15 years of experience in AEDs & cardiac safety · AEDwijzer

Published on November 4, 2025

You hope it never happens, but it did: your AED was called out and used in a resuscitation. That's an intense moment, but also proof that your investment in safety truly makes a difference. Once calm has returned and the AED has been brought back, the device must be made ready for use again as quickly as possible.

Step 1: Set the AED to 'inactive'

When HartslagNu calls out your AED, you will automatically receive a notification. The citizen first responder will return the device to you after use.

• Important: Log in to your HartslagNu account immediately and set the status to 'not deployable'. This prevents the AED from being called out again while the pads are still used.

Step 2: Replace the parts

An AED is not immediately ready for another round after use. Maintenance must take place:

• Replace the AED electrodes: These are for single use. Once the packaging has been opened, the gel dries out and they are no longer usable.

• Check the AED battery: A battery often lasts for multiple uses, but check the status indicator on the device. When in doubt or after a very long use, replacement is advisable.

• Prepare for use: Clean the device with a disinfectant wipe and check if the 'safeset' (scissors, razor, gloves) needs to be replenished.

Step 3: Declare costs

You do not have to bear the costs of the consumed materials yourself.

• Reimbursement: You can declare the costs for new pads and batteries to the ambulance service (RAV) in the region where the resuscitation took place.

• Details: You will need the location of the resuscitation (found in the HartslagNu email). Keep the invoice for your new parts well for the appendix of your declaration.

Step 4: Re-register with HartslagNu

Once the new parts are installed and the AED's self-test shows "OK":

1. Update the new expiry dates in your HartslagNu profile.

2. Set the status back to 'active'. Your AED is now officially a life-saver in the neighbourhood again.

Cost reimbursement per ambulance region

Do you want to know which ambulance service you can submit your claim to? Check the website of your region:

Groningen | Fryslân | Drenthe | IJsselland | Twente | North and East Gelderland | Central Gelderland | Gelderland South | Utrecht | North-Holland-North | Amsterdam-Amstelland | Kennemerland | Zaanstreek-Waterland | Gooi en Vechtstreek | Haaglanden | Hollands Midden | Rotterdam-Rijnmond | South Holland-South | Zeeland | Central and West Brabant | Brabant-North

Together we ensure a quick restart

Experiencing a resuscitation is intense, even as the AED owner. Take the time to process it and talk about it with others. We will help you with the technical side in the meantime.

• Need new parts quickly? Order your new AED electrodes or AED battery directly here.

• Maintenance assistance: Do you have a maintenance contract with us? Please contact us directly. In many cases, we will replace the parts directly and read out the AED data for you.