Wells Real Estate Funds, based in Norcross, Ga., has announced a program to install automated external defibrillators for tenant use at its properties nationwide. The Wells effort is believed to be the largest project of its kind by a major U.S. office landlord, according to the defibrillator manufacturer.

Immediate treatment of sudden cardiac arrest can improve the odds of survival, which drop by as much as 10% for each minute of delay prior to defibrillation and cardiopulmonary resuscitation, according to the American Heart Association.  

“The typical office building only has a few [defibrillators], usually in security stations,” said Leo Wells, president of Wells Real Estate Funds. “By installing them and training tenants to use them, we’re seeking to ensure that the people who work in our buildings have access to these life-saving devices as quickly as possible.

Wells Real Estate Funds, which owns 115 buildings, mostly Class-A office properties, plans to install the devices and conduct training in Houston and Charlotte, N.C. to start.  

An estimated 85,000 people work at Wells properties nationwide, including major markets such as New York, Washington, Houston and Atlanta.

Participating tenants include Anglo Irish Bank Corp., Bank of Texas NA, Coca-Cola Enterprises, The Counsel of the European Union, New Zealand Trade & Enterprises, and Wells Fargo & Co.