Automated external defibrillators (AEDs) on school and university campuses have saved many lives. Students, teachers and community members have been among the fortunate ones pulled from the brink of death. Medical studies validating the effectiveness of AEDs in schools and other public settings have been published in numerous medical journals. Still, only 16 states have laws mandating or encouraging AEDs on school campuses, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures' website (www.ncsl.org). Regardless of whether a school or university is bound by such mandates, it is a good idea for an institution to obtain its first AED, or additional AEDs to cover a large campus. In this article, the author discusses how AEDs can prepare schools for sudden cardiac arrest.