Where the North East Ambulance Service (NEAS) receives a call involving a cardiac arrest, any defibrillator located within 500m
of the incident is automatically flagged to the call handler at NEAS. Where appropriate, NEAS will provide the caller with the location of the nearest defibrillator and the code to gain entry to the cabinet so that, where practicable, someone else present can bring the defibrillator to the scene of the incident. The cabinets are secure and can only be accessed with the code provided by NEAS. The defibrillators are automated and no training is needed for their use. Click here to see a video which demonstrates how to use the devices fitted in this area:
The majority of cardiac arrests happen at home and in order to increase the availability of defibrillators across homes in Stocksfield, the Council is installing additional defibrillators. The first two will be at the Community Centre on Mount View Terrace and at St John’s Church on Meadowfield Road. The Council is grateful to the Community Association and the Church for allowing this to happen and to the residents of Painshawfield Estate who, through the fundraising efforts of resident Dr Lucy Booth, have contributed over £4,700 to the devices covering the Estate. There are plans, due to be considered by the Council at its next meeting, to add a further six defibrillators to this network. Eventually it is hoped to provide defibrillator coverage to all of the dwellings within the more densely populated parts of the Council’s area, as well as the houses in the centres of Broomley and Hindley.
Watch out for more information on the Council’s website and Facebook page.