AED Service America urges regular AED manufacturer audits

By AI, Created 4:41 PM UTC, June 04, 2026, /AGP/ – AED Service America is urging U.S. organizations to audit AED serial numbers at least every other year to catch recalls, field corrective actions and other status changes that could affect emergency readiness. The company says these reviews can uncover hidden risks that standard battery-and-pad checks may miss.

Why it matters: - AEDs are meant to help save lives during sudden cardiac arrest, so a device’s manufacturer status can affect both emergency readiness and compliance. - An audit can identify recalls, field corrective actions, warranty issues, end-of-life notices and other problems that may leave a device unsupported or unsafe to use. - AED Service America says organizations that rely only on visible status indicators may miss issues that could affect liability, response capability and public access defibrillation programs.

What happened: - AED Service America said it is recommending that organizations across the United States perform a manufacturer audit of AED serial numbers at least once every other year. - The Windsor Locks, Connecticut-based company says it offers free AED manufacturer audits to existing and prospective clients. - Founder Douglas Comstock said the company has found hidden issues in nearly every deployment it has reviewed. - Comstock said 99.9% of AED deployments reviewed over the last decade had at least one issue the owner did not know about. - AED Service America said the goal of the audit is to determine whether each AED remains safe, supported and appropriate for continued service.

The details: - In a cited example, a manufacturer audit at Central Washington University found that all 14 AEDs in the deployment were subject to manufacturer recalls and should have been removed from service years earlier. - The university’s personnel were unaware of the recalls until the audit was completed. - The company said manufacturers also issue field corrective actions, or FCAs, that may require updates, modifications or inspections in the field. - AED Service America said FCAs may not receive broad attention and can be overlooked by device owners. - The company said a comprehensive audit can also surface warranty status and expiration, indemnification concerns, FDA safety communications, manufacturer end-of-life announcements, obsolete devices and recommended replacement timelines. - Comstock said many organizations mistakenly think AED maintenance is limited to checking pads and batteries. - Comstock said most manufacturers recommend evaluating replacement after about 10 to 12 years, depending on the model. - Comstock compared AEDs to life-saving computers and said organizations often keep them in service for 15, 20 or even 25 years. - AED Service America said it has made manufacturer audits a core part of its AED maintenance, AED management and AED service plan offerings. - The company said organizations submit serial numbers, and it works directly with manufacturers’ technical support departments to verify each device’s current status. - AED Service America said the review is intended to provide manufacturer-specific findings on recalls, FCAs, warranty status, end-of-life considerations and other safety information.

Between the lines: - The pitch is as much about oversight as equipment. AED Service America is framing manufacturer communications and product lifecycle tracking as part of basic AED readiness, not an optional add-on. - The company is also positioning audits as a way to reduce uncertainty before an emergency rather than after a failure. - Comstock’s comments suggest the biggest risk is not obvious device failure, but undiscovered manufacturer notices that sit outside routine maintenance checks.

What’s next: - Organizations can submit AED serial numbers to AED Service America for review. - The company says it will return manufacturer-specific findings tied to recalls, FCAs, warranty status, end-of-life issues and related safety notices. - AED Service America says the audits are available to organizations nationwide as part of its compliance and program-management services. - More information is available at AEDserviceAmerica.com.