Hundreds of public AEDs are missing from the HartslagNu alert system.

by | 18 February 2026 | Uncategorized

PRESS RELEASE
Blaricum, 18 February 2026

 

 

Call to HartslagNu and the Ministry of Health: make registration transparent, verifiable and complete to prevent apparent ‘gaps’ on AED maps

 

City AED Nederland reports that hundreds of public AEDs accessible 24/7 across the Netherlands are no longer visible, or are not visible, in the HartslagNu alert system. As a result, maps and apps may show an incomplete picture of AED coverage and apparent ‘gaps’ may arise in areas where an operational public AED is available.

 

According to City AED Nederland, this has two direct consequences. First, volunteer responders and residents may be unsure which nearby AEDs are actually included in the alert system. Second, municipalities, funds and other financiers may make decisions based on an incomplete map, potentially leading to extra AEDs being installed where a working public AED is already available.

 

Examples from practice: Arnhem and Amersfoort
City AED Nederland regularly receives questions from volunteer responders asking why a physically present public City AED, accessible 24/7, cannot be found in HartslagNu. City AED Nederland points to examples in Arnhem and Amersfoort, where responders say they know the AED and can locate it, but cannot see it in the system.

 

“This is not about putting up more cabinets, but about reliable and complete information,” says Marcel Mattijssen, founder of City AED Nederland. “Making decisions based on an incomplete map creates a false sense of security and costs lives. That is unnecessary and can be resolved with transparent criteria and a verifiable process.”

 

 

Call for action: four immediate measures

City AED Nederland calls on HartslagNu and the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport to take the following steps promptly:

  1. Publish transparent registration criteria, including clear reasons for any temporary or permanent exclusion or lack of visibility.
  2. A trackable registration process for AED managers, including status updates, timeframes and required supporting documents.
  3. An independent review and appeal process available to AED managers and owners.
  4. Carry out periodic audits of completeness and accuracy of AED registrations, so that administrative omissions do not create ‘gaps’ on the map.