According to the public-version CPR reference guideline summary table (民眾版心肺復甦術參考指引摘要表) revised by the Ministry of Health and Welfare on April 23, 2021, the adult CPR sequence is "Call-Call-CABD" (叫叫 CABD): call (check responsiveness), call (shout for help, dial 119 and try to get an AED), C chest compressions, A open the airway, B rescue breaths, D defibrillate with an AED. Compress at the center of the line between the two nipples, 5 to 6 cm deep, 100 to 120 times per minute. The guideline also states "if the rescuer does not perform rescue breaths, continue chest compressions". That is, people who do not know how to give breaths, or are unwilling to, can do compressions only, all the way until an AED arrives or rescue personnel arrive. When you call 119, turn on the speaker and do as the duty staff instruct.
Note: This article is based on the summary table and flowcharts revised on April 23, 2021 that are posted on the Ministry of Health and Welfare's public-place AED first-aid information website (公共場所AED急救資訊網). As of 2026-11-02, the website's "education and training" page still lists this version, and no newer version was found. If the ministry later revises it (for example the compression depth, the sequence or the child version), follow the new version. Written descriptions cannot replace hands-on practice; taking a CPR+AED course offered by a fire department (消防局) or a hospital is recommended.
Call-Call-CABD: adult CPR steps
| Step | What to do | Key points |
|---|
| 0. Check safety | Check that the environment will not endanger the rescuer or the patient | Deal with hazards first: traffic, fire scenes, electric shock scenes |
| Call: check responsiveness | Tap the shoulders and call out loudly | If there is no response, go to the next step |
| Call: ask for help | Shout for help, dial 119, ask someone to fetch an AED | When calling 119 from a mobile phone, turn on the speaker, try not to leave the patient, and follow the instructions of the 119 duty staff |
| Check breathing | Look to see whether the chest rises and falls | If there is no breathing or almost none, start chest compressions; if you cannot be sure, also start chest compressions straight away |
| C chest compressions | Place the heel of the hand at the center of the line between the two nipples (lower half of the breastbone) | Push hard, 5 to 6 cm; push fast, 100 to 120 per minute (about 2 per second); allow full recoil each time; interruptions no longer than 10 seconds |
| A airway | Head tilt and chin lift (壓額提下巴) | Applies to people who are trained and willing to give rescue breaths |
| B breathing | Give two breaths of 1 second each, and see the chest rise | Compressions to breaths 30:2; if you are not giving rescue breaths, keep compressing |
| D defibrillation | When the AED arrives: stick on the pads, turn it on, follow the voice prompts | Resume CPR immediately after a shock |
Continue CPR until the patient starts to move or breathes normally, or until rescue personnel arrive. The flowchart specifically notes that "most people do not press deep enough, but pressing too deep can cause harm", so the depth is 5 cm to 6 cm.
How adults, children and infants differ
| Item | Adult (aged 8 and over) | Child (1 to 8 years) | Infant (under 1 year, newborns excluded) |
|---|
| Calling for help | Call 119 first and try to get an AED | Call 119 first; if you are alone and have no mobile phone, do five cycles of CPR before calling for help | Same as child |
| Compression location | Center of the line between the two nipples (lower half of the breastbone) | Same as adult | Just below the center of the line between the two nipples |
| Compression depth | 5 to 6 cm | At least 1/3 of the front-to-back depth of the chest (about 5 cm), not more than 6 cm | At least 1/3 of the front-to-back depth of the chest (about 4 cm) |
| Compression rate | 100 to 120 per minute | Same as the column to the left | Same as the column to the left |
| Compressions to breaths | 30:2 | 30:2; 15:2 with 2 or more rescuers | 30:2; 15:2 with 2 or more rescuers |
| AED pads | Adult AED and pads | Prefer a child AED and pads; if there are none, use the adult ones | If rescue personnel who can use a manual defibrillator are present, they handle it; if not, prefer a child AED and pads, and use the adult ones only if there are none |
Is it all right to compress without giving breaths?
Yes. The summary table states "if the rescuer does not perform rescue breaths, continue chest compressions". The adult "simple flowchart" also has only five actions: check responsiveness, call for help, check breathing, compress the chest, and use an AED. Only the "full flowchart" lists "give two rescue breaths after every 30 compressions" as a step, and it notes that this applies to "people who are trained, able and willing to give the patient rescue breaths". The child version says "if trained, able and willing, give rescue breaths where possible".
With compressions only, quality matters even more: press deep enough, press fast enough, let the chest recoil fully each time, and interrupt as little as possible. If a second person is present, you can take turns compressing, so that fatigue does not leave the compressions too shallow (this is this article's suggestion).
How to use an AED and where to find one
An AED (automated external defibrillator, 自動體外心臟電擊去顫器) automatically detects the heart rhythm and judges whether a shock is needed, and gives voice and picture guidance after it is turned on. The steps: stick on the pads, turn the machine on, follow the AED's instructions, and resume CPR immediately after a shock. To find a nearby AED, use the search map on the Ministry of Health and Welfare's public-place AED first-aid information website.
Under the list of public places that must have an AED (應置有自動體外心臟電擊去顫器之公共場所), announced and amended by the Ministry of Health and Welfare on May 10, 2023, the following places must install an AED:
| Category | Places |
|---|
| Major transport hubs | Airports, high-speed rail stations, Taiwan Railway stations ranked third class or above (三等站以上), MRT stations, transfer terminals, expressway service areas, passenger service areas in port districts |
| Long-distance vehicles | High-speed rail trains, passenger aircraft with more than 19 seats that dispatch cabin crew, passenger ships of 100 gross tons or more or carrying more than 150 passengers |
| Schools and large gathering places | Schools from junior high school up, courts, the Legislative Yuan, local councils, fitness or sports centers, funeral homes, religious gathering places with an average of 1,000 people in and out per day |
| Large leisure and shopping venues | Cinemas, audio-visual karaoke venues, performance halls, sports venues, libraries, museums and art museums with an average of 1,000 people in and out per day; large shopping malls (including underground shopping streets), large retail stores, supermarkets, department stores |
| Lodging and bathhouses | Hotels with more than 100 rooms; large public bathhouses and hot spring areas with an average of 100 visits per day in peak season |
| Other | Tourist areas, police sub-bureaus and police stations, military camps with 1,000 or more people |
Under the management regulations for necessary emergency rescue equipment in public places (公共場所必要緊急救護設備管理辦法), AED locations must have clear and visible signs inside the venue and be marked on the venue's floor plan, and operating instructions and an emergency contact number must be beside the AED. What follows is this article's suggestion: if someone collapses in an MRT station or department store, ask station staff or service desk staff to help fetch the AED.
Will you be sued for helping?
Article 14-2 of the emergency medical services act (緊急醫療救護法) provides that a person other than rescue personnel (救護人員) who, to remove imminent danger to another person's life, uses emergency rescue equipment or administers first-aid measures, is covered by the emergency-avoidance (緊急避難) exemption provisions of the Civil Code and the criminal code (刑法); this also applies to rescue personnel when they are off duty. That is, when ordinary people perform CPR or use an AED to save someone, the law has emergency-avoidance exemption provisions that can apply. Article 14-1 of the same act provides that public places announced by the central health authority must have an AED installed.
Where to learn CPR+AED
The National Fire Agency's FAQ answer is that you can link to each county's and city's fire department through the agency's outreach web page, and you can also learn while watching on the Ministry of Health and Welfare's public-place AED first-aid information website, whose education and training page provides public-version CPR+AED teaching videos, materials and posters. Fire department contacts in Taipei and New Taipei:
| Unit | Phone | Notes |
|---|
| Taipei City Government fire department (臺北市政府消防局) | 02-2729-7668 (main line) | For public training sessions, contact the fire department or your local fire squad (分隊) |
| New Taipei City Government fire department, emergency medical section (新北市政府消防局緊急救護科) | (02)8951-9119 ext. 6400 | Duties include first-aid education and outreach and DA-CPR (CPR guided online by 119) |
| Emergencies | 119 | 24 hours; CPR can be guided online as the duty staff instruct |
For the differences among 119, 110 and 112, see emergency phone numbers explained; for the rules on ambulance charges, see does calling an ambulance cost money.
FAQ
If I am not sure whether the patient is breathing, should I start compressions?
Yes. The ministry's flowchart states: if there is no breathing or almost none, start chest compressions; if you cannot be sure, also start chest compressions.
How deep and how fast should CPR compressions be?
For adults, 5 to 6 cm deep and 100 to 120 per minute (about 2 per second), letting the chest recoil fully after each compression, with interruptions no longer than 10 seconds. For infants, about 4 cm (1/3 of the front-to-back depth of the chest).
Can I still save someone if I do not give rescue breaths?
Yes. The ministry's 2021 summary table states that when the rescuer does not perform rescue breaths, they continue chest compressions until the patient moves, breathes normally or rescue personnel arrive.
What if I am alone and have no phone?
For an adult, first go and call 119 and get an AED. For children aged 1 and over and infants, first do five cycles of CPR, then go and make the call or go out to ask for help.
Is there legal liability if I use an AED and the rescue fails?
Article 14-2 of the emergency medical services act provides that when a person other than rescue personnel uses emergency rescue equipment or administers first aid to remove imminent danger to another person's life, the emergency-avoidance exemption provisions of the Civil Code and the criminal code apply.
Last updated: 2026-11-03
This article was compiled by SOSfix editors from public information and is for general reference only. For individual cases, contact the Taipei City Government fire department, the New Taipei City Government fire department or the Ministry of Health and Welfare.
Sources
- Ministry of Health and Welfare public-place AED first-aid information website: 2021 public-version CPR reference guideline summary table, announced version (in Chinese; revised by the ministry April 23, 2021, downloaded 2026-11-02): the Call-Call-CABD steps, compression location, depth of 5–6 cm, rate of 100–120 per minute, interruptions no longer than 10 seconds, 30:2 and 15:2, continuing compressions if not giving breaths, child and infant differences, AED pad choice, the adult simple and full versions, the child-version flowchart.
- Ministry of Health and Welfare public-place AED first-aid information website: education and training (in Chinese, verified 2026-11-02): public-version CPR+AED teaching videos, materials and posters, and that the summary table is the current announced version.
- Ministry of Health and Welfare public-place AED first-aid information website: home page, "What is an AED" (in Chinese, verified 2026-11-02): the AED automatically detects the heart rhythm, with voice and picture instructions; entrance to the AED search map.
- Ministry of Health and Welfare public-place AED first-aid information website: legal provisions (in Chinese; announcement of May 10, 2023, order no. 1121663199 (衛部醫字第 1121663199 號公告), verified 2026-11-02): the list of 10 categories of public places that must have an AED.
- Ministry of Health and Welfare public-place AED first-aid information website: FAQ (in Chinese; 2021-12-21, verified 2026-11-02): AED location signs, floor plans, operating instructions and emergency contact numbers.
- Laws and regulations database (全國法規資料庫): emergency medical services act (in Chinese; amended January 16, 2013, verified 2026-11-02): Article 14-1 AEDs in public places, Article 14-2 emergency-avoidance exemption.
- National Fire Agency, Ministry of the Interior: FAQ, emergency rescue, "Where can I learn CPR?" (in Chinese, verified 2026-11-02): ways to learn: the National Fire Agency outreach page linking to each county and city fire department, and the Ministry of Health and Welfare's AED website.
- New Taipei City Government fire department: emergency medical section (in Chinese, verified 2026-11-02): the section's phone number (02)8951-9119 ext. 6400, with duties including first-aid education and outreach and DA-CPR.
- Taipei City Government fire department: home page footer (in Chinese, verified 2026-11-02): main line 02-27297668.
