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AED for Utility Workers
  • Industry guide · Utility workers

Best AED for utility workers 2026: one per truck, like the industry already proved.

Electrical risk · Truck-mounted · Rugged
Line work is the one trade where the hazard and the cure share a mechanism: electrical contact can throw a heart into ventricular fibrillation, and defibrillation is the correction. OSHA already requires CPR-trained personnel on energized work, Washington legislated AEDs for line crews, and Ameren put units in 239 trucks. The industry has answered the question; this guide picks the hardware and the per-truck math.
239
Line trucks one utility equipped with AEDs, all crews trained
50V+
The energized-work threshold requiring CPR-trained personnel
14+ min
Median rural EMS response where line work lives
2-4
Crew size: witnesses on every job, unlike solo trades
  • Direct answer

The best AED for most utility fleets is the Philips HeartStart FRx, $2,099 at 2026 US list: IP55, drop-tested, and vibration-tolerant, the truck-mount profile major utilities actually install. Large co-op fleets standardizing per truck should compare the 2.4 lb HeartSine 350P; staffed control centers, the self-testing Powerheart G5.

  • 🏆 Top 3 Picks

Which AED fits which part of the utility?

Trucks, fleets, and facilities spec differently. Prices are 2026 US list at authorized distributors; every model is FDA-approved via PMA.
Heartsine Samaritan PAD 350P Products
Lightest AED
HeartSine

Heartsine Samaritan PAD 350P

Decision shortcut The HeartSine 350P puts the pads and the battery in one cartridge with

SKU

SAM-350P

FDA PMA

PMA P160008

Manufacturer

HeartSine

From

$1,411.00
Shop →
Philips HeartStart FRx AED 861304 Product
🏆 Editor's Pick
Philips

Philips HeartStart FRx

Decision shortcut The Philips HeartStart FRx ($2,099, 2026 US list) covers adults and children on

SKU

861304

FDA PMA

P180028

Manufacturer

Philips Healthcare

From

$2,099.00
Shop →
Cardiac Science Powerheart G5 AED Product
Fully Auto
Cardiac Science

Powerheart G5 AED

Powerheart G5 AED Features Semi- or Fully Automatic Shock Delivery This device comes in both

SKU

G5A-80A-P

FDA PMA

P160033

Manufacturer

Cardiac Science

From

$2,157.00
Shop →
Not sure which AED? · 60-second match · FDA PMA

Match your facility to the right FDA-approved AED.

Every setting has a different best pick: pediatric capability for schools, real-time CPR feedback for gyms, a video screen for public lobbies. Answer a few questions and get a matched, FDA-approved (PMA) recommendation with 2026 pricing.

FDA PMA approvedMatched to your setting2026 pricingNo sales pressure
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Answer 4 quick questions and we'll match you to one of 14 FDA-approved AEDs — independently reviewed, MD-approved.
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⚡ Quantity planning

How many AEDs does your facility need?

The AHA program target is simple: a responder retrieves the AED and returns to the victim in about 3 minutes, proven with a stopwatch, not a formula. The AHA publishes no square-feet-per-AED coefficient, so treat every calculator output, ours included, as a planning estimate you validate with a timed walking drill on your actual floor plan.

Survival drops with every minute of delay before defibrillation, which is why placement beats brand choice in almost every deployment.

Find Your Perfect AED

5 questions about your environment, training, and budget. Matched to a specific model with the reasoning shown.

Take the 60-second quiz →

AED Quantity Calculator

Floors, detached buildings, and risk zones in, planning estimate out. Then validate with a walking drill.

Plan your coverage →

AED Cost Calculator

Device, pads, batteries, and cabinet over a multi-year horizon, with 2026 pricing and visible math.

Estimate total cost →
Replacing pads and batteries on schedule is where most programs quietly fail. The pads and batteries guide covers expiry cycles by model, and new buyers should start at the complete buyer’s guide or the basics in what is an AED.
  • Utility AED rules

What do the rules actually say for line crews?

Closer to a mandate than any other private industry, and moving closer each session:
The utility standard

29 CFR 1910.269

First-aid and CPR-trained personnel are required for work on exposed lines or equipment energized at 50 volts or more. The training mandate exists; the AED is the tool that completes it.

Read 1910.269

Washington's move

HB 1542 · 2023

Legislation requiring AEDs for crews on high-voltage lines passed the Washington House unanimously in 2023, the first state to move. Verify current status and watch for followers.

Read the record

The industry precedent

Fleet deployments

Ameren Illinois equipped 239 line trucks with AEDs and trained all field workers[6]; electric co-ops have followed with truck installs. The per-truck model is normal practice now, not innovation.

Read the case

Good Samaritan cover

All 50 states

Crew members acting in good faith are protected everywhere[8], and the crews are already trained by rule. Nothing in the law argues for waiting.

State protections

Or browse the full map with every verdict side by side on the AED Industries hub.
  • Budget reality

What does a per-truck program actually cost over 5 years?

A 50-truck co-op on the 350P runs roughly $83,000 over 5 years at list; the same fleet on the FRx roughly $119,000. Per unit with truck mount or cabinet, 2026 US list for devices, typical street consumable pricing (labeled estimates):

 

Cost line Philips FRx HeartSine 350P Powerheart G5
Device · 2026 US list $2,099 $1,411 $2,157
Pads over 5 yrs (est.) ~$150 · 2x SMART Pads II ~$169 · 1x Pad-Pak (pads + battery, one cartridge) ~$210 · 2x Intellisense pads
Battery over 5 yrs (est.) ~$89 · 1x M5070A (4-yr) ~$399 · 1x Intellisense battery
Truck mount or cabinet (est.) ~$199 ~$199 ~$199
5-year total per unit (est.) ~$2,380 ~$1,660 ~$2,965

Consumable and mount figures are typical 2026 US street pricing at authorized distributors and vary by package; device prices are 2026 US list. Cab temperature ranges matter as much here as in trucking (battery guide · IP guide). Browse all pads and batteries, run your truck count in the Cost Calculator, and quote fleets, never per unit.

  • Free tool · 60 seconds · no email

Still between two models? Let the quiz decide.

Answer a few questions about your building, your staff, and your budget and get one specific model with the reasoning shown, weighted by the same four features this page taught you. Multi-location chains should take the fleet path instead.
Find your perfect AED
Multi-location quote (5+ units)
  • Weighted by the 4 features
  • FDA-approved models only
  • 2026 pricing shown
  • Reasoning explained
  • Program checklist

The safety director's 10-point AED checklist

Map 1910.269 crews first: energized work at 50V+ means CPR-trained personnel who deserve the finishing tool.
Mount one unit per crew truck in the climate-controlled cab; PM intervals own the consumable check (pads guide).
Write the safety-first sequence into the response card: clear the source, 911, compressions, pads.
Anchor staffed control and service centers with self-testing units on the 3-minute drill.
Cover unstaffed substations via visiting trucks, and log that decision, not with wall units nobody can reach.
Add AEDs to the storm kits: one per deployed crew, checked at roll-out, staging coverage in mutual-aid agreements.
Fold AED refreshers into the existing 1910.269 CPR cycle (why both). Crew sessions at CPR1.
Drill the contact scenario per crew each quarter, tailboard-style, and log it with the safety paperwork.
Track WA-style legislation in your states; being ahead of the mandate is cheaper than catching up to it.
Brief crews on arrest recognition after contact events (2-minute explainer).
  • Buyer questions

Utility AED questions, answered straight

Not yet, but 1910.269 already requires first-aid and CPR-trained personnel on energized work at 50V+[3], and Washington’s HB 1542 requiring line-crew AEDs passed the House unanimously in 2023[5]. The training mandate exists; the AED finishes it. Track your states in the tracker.

Electrical contact can trigger VF, the rhythm defibrillation corrects; crews are small but never solo, so arrests are witnessed; and work sites sit deep in the rural EMS gap[4]. Utilities have already validated the answer at 239-truck scale[6].

Rescuer safety first: confirm the victim is clear of the energized source per your utility’s rules before touching anyone. Then 911 on speaker, hard fast compressions, truck AED on the chest[7]. Crews already know the CPR half by rule.

With the trucks that visit them: unstaffed sites gain nothing from wall units nobody can reach in time. Staffed control and service centers get self-testing anchors on the roughly 3-minute drill[2]. Start with the Quantity Calculator.

Everything gets farther from help: mutual-aid rosters work unfamiliar territory at the far end of the EMS gap. One AED per deployed crew travels in the storm kit, checked at roll-out, with staging-area coverage written into the mutual-aid agreement.

Per truck over 5 years: roughly $1,660 (350P) or $2,380 (FRx), estimates with visible math above; a 50-truck fleet runs $83,000 to $119,000 at list before fleet pricing. Run your fleet in the Cost Calculator, and start with the basics if AEDs are new territory.

  • Why public-access AEDs work

The evidence behind every claim on this page.

AED Best Brands is an editorial AED-review publication, independent of every AED manufacturer. No manufacturer pays for placement or sees a verdict early. Every number below links to its primary source.

10,000

Workplace arrests yearly

OSHA's count across US workplaces

74%

Survival at 3 minutes

Public-access shocks within 3 min of collapse

60%

Shockable in public

Witnessed public arrests with VF/VT vs 35% at home

2-3x

Survival multiplier

Immediate CPR while the AED arrives

Read Full Methodology
Meet our advisory board

References · primary sources

  1. ClinicalAmerican Heart Association. Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics, annual update. Circulation. heart.org statistics
  2. ProgramAmerican Heart Association. Implementing an AED Program, 2023 guide. cpr.heart.org AED guide (PDF)
  3. RegulationOSHA. Electric Power Generation, Transmission, and Distribution, 29 CFR 1910.269. osha.gov 1910.269
  4. ClinicalMell HK, et al. Emergency medical services response times in rural, suburban, and urban areas. JAMA Surgery. 2017;152(10):983-984. jamanetwork.com
  5. LegislationWashington State House. HB 1542, AEDs for high-voltage line crews, passed the House 2023. housedemocrats.wa.gov
  6. IndustryT&D World. Ameren Illinois equips 239 line trucks with AEDs. tdworld.com
  7. ClinicalAmerican Heart Association. CPR Facts and Stats. cpr.heart.org facts
  8. LegalCDC. Public Access Defibrillation State Law Fact Sheet. cdc.gov PAD fact sheet
Updated · July 2026 Review methodology Medical Advisory Board AED Laws by State All 22 Industries AED Resource Library
Key takeaways
  • •Match the AED to who will use it: most settings need a unit an untrained bystander can operate with clear voice prompts, like the Philips OnSite or ZOLL AED Plus.
  • •Plan for a shock within about three minutes: that response-time goal drives how many units you need and where they go, more than floor area does.
  • •Budget for the full life, and consider recertified: pads and battery add to the cost, and a recertified unit can cost well below new. Use our Find your perfect AED quiz or see best refurbished AEDs.
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