Your club has a defibrillator. Here's the next thing to add

October 17, 2026

Person lying inside a red InciTent privacy tent set up indoors

Defibrillators (AEDs) are now a familiar sight on clubhouse walls, school corridors, shopping centres and gyms across Ireland. Ulster GAA, for example, publishes defibrillator guidelines and a process for registering club defibrillators [1]. IRFU SAFE-Rugby lists an AED in its recommended club Emergency Response Kit [2].

That's real progress. But think about what actually happens when that AED is used.

The scene nobody plans for

Someone collapses: a player, a parent on the sideline, a customer in a shop. A trained person starts CPR, someone runs for the defibrillator, and the pads go on. That means exposing the person's chest, often in full view of a crowd.

And the crowd will have phones.

Everyone involved is doing the right thing. But the person on the ground has no say in who's watching, or who's filming. If it's a teenager, a teacher or a well-known local face, those images can travel fast, sometimes before the family has even been told.

It isn't just about privacy, either. Collapses don't wait for good weather. CPR and AED use on a wet pitch or in a windy car park is harder on everyone, and a casualty who is already unwell gets cold quickly.

Why a privacy screen belongs beside the AED

This isn't a new idea: privacy screens are increasingly kept alongside AEDs. The logic is simple: if you've planned for the cardiac emergency, plan for the space around it.

A privacy screen beside your AED:

protects dignity while the chest is exposed for CPR and pads
keeps phone cameras out, especially important for young people
gives responders room to work calmly, with fewer people pressing in
adds shelter from rain and wind outdoors
helps afterwards, while you wait for the ambulance.

InciTent has no floor, so it can go up around the casualty and the rescuers where they are, without anyone being moved.

Making it part of your emergency plan

Buying the equipment is the easy bit. Here's how to make it work on the day.

1. Store it with the AED. If the screen is in a different room from the defibrillator, it won't come out in time. Keep the privacy tent in or beside your AED cabinet, or with your pitch-side kit bag. InciTent folds to a flat 60 cm disc, 3 cm thick, so it can lean beside the cabinet without taking up much space.

2. Give someone the job. In a collapse, the trained rescuer is busy. Agree in advance who brings the AED, who calls 112/999, who meets the ambulance, and who puts up the screen. That's a good job for a coach, steward or staff member who isn't doing CPR.

3. Practise it. When your club or workplace runs CPR/AED refresher training, include putting up the screen. InciTent sets up in 10 seconds, so it only adds a few minutes to the session, and the first real use won't be the first time anyone has opened the bag.

4. Check it with the AED. You already check the AED's pads and battery. Add the privacy tent to the same checklist: is it there, is it in its bag, and is it clean and dry?

5. Don't let it delay care. The screen should never hold up CPR or the defibrillator. Start CPR, get the AED, and let a second person put up the screen around you.

Which InciTent suits an AED?

Public buildings, shopping centres, offices and gyms: the 4-Sided Tent (€129) encloses the casualty on all four sides, which suits busy indoor spaces where people gather all around. A zip along one long side lets paramedics get in when they arrive.
Clubs and outdoor venues: the 3-Sided Tent (€109) leaves one side open, so rescuers have easy access and paramedics can bring a stretcher straight in.
Clubs with several pitches, or schools with several buildings: the 2-tent and 3-tent club packs cost less per tent.

Read more about InciTent for public buildings and InciTent for sport.

The bottom line

Your defibrillator gives someone the best chance of surviving a cardiac arrest. A privacy screen makes sure they keep their dignity while you give them that chance. If your club, school or building already has an AED, a screen is a simple and affordable next step.

Questions? Contact us or email info@skillshop.ie.

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