Did you know Shorne Parish Council provides and maintains two automated external defibrillators (AEDs), one at the entrance to the Village Hall, and one at the entrance to Michael Gardens park?
The AEDs are simple and self-explanatory to use, they actually speak to you to tell you what to do. No training is necessary, but it is worthwhile familiarising yourself with what to do in an emergency. There is an excellent 8-minute familiarisation video on You Tube which you can watch at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s5ZPLXdXPBc. The key aspects of using the AED start 1 minute 30 seconds into the video.
AEDs are only for use if the patient is unconscious and suffering from cardiac arrest – they are not for patients who are suffering from a heart attack and feeling very unwell. The most urgent and important action to take for someone who is unconscious and suffering from cardiac arrest is to apply CPR – cardiopulmonary resuscitation. This should be carried out immediately, while someone else goes to call for an ambulance and to fetch the AED.
Because the AEDs are kept outdoors so that they are available 24 hours a day, they are kept in a locked, heated cabinet. This ensures that they are safe and secure, and they are there when they are needed. The 999 emergency responder will tell you the code to unlock the cabinet.
Let’s hope that they are never needed.
