Another potentially life saving defibrillator is now in
place in West Stockwith, located outside the
front door of the Waterfront Inn on Canal
Lane in the village.
The Public Access Defibrillator (PAD), which can be used to shock the heart of
a cardiac arrest victim, was funded by donations and grants from North Notts
Lions Club, West Stockwith Parish Council, Five Villages First Responders and
Cllr Hazel Brand.
The local voluntary Five Villages First Responders (FVFR) team have been involved in installing seventeen such defibrillators within the local area over the 3 years, including one’s in Misterton, Beckingham, Walkeringham, Gringley on the Hill, Everton, Clayworth and other local villages.
Martyn Johnson, Coordinator of FVFR said: “The
defibrillators are located in secure yellow cabinets on the outside of the
buildings. They are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, should they be
required in the case of someone nearby suffering from a sudden cardiac arrest. When
a cardiac arrests happens, the patient will suddenly collapse, will be
unresponsive and either not be breathing at all, or only occasionally gasping.
Rapid help in the form of calling immediately for an ambulance via 999,
starting CPR (chest compressions and rescue breaths) and the use of an
automated defibrillator can vastly improve the chances of survival for the
patient.”
All the defibrillators in the area are logged by East Midlands Ambulance
Service on their Computer Dispatch system, and if a 999 call happens nearby and
one of the defibrillators is required, the 999 ambulance operator will give
instructions to the caller - telling them that there is a defib nearby and the
code to open the cabinet. “If someone is then able to fetch it to the patients
side, while another person performs CPR this will help improve the chance of
survival”, said Martyn.
Once the defib is by the patients side the lid is opened and the user simply follows the audio and visual instructions to place the adhesive pads on the patients chest. The ambulance operator will also give instructions over the phone. The defibrillator will check to see if the patient’s heart is in a rhythm that requires a shock, and if it is the defibrillator will deliver one. They are simple and safe to use. While all of this is happening the ambulance service will still be sending emergency resources straight to the scene following the 999 call. But if CPR can be carried out and a defib can be used within the first minutes after a cardiac arrests occurs the chances of the patient being successfully resuscitated are much greater.
Martyn said: “We’d like to pass on our thanks to all the organisations who have come together to fund this defibrillator and to Karen and Stewart from the Waterfront Inn for all their help and assistance and for agreeing to host this potentially life saving piece of equipment for the community outside of their venue.”
The unit at Waterfront Inn is the second one to be placed in West Stockwith, with the other being located outside on the wall of the Gertrude Morris Village Hall on Main Street.
Further free to attend awareness sessions which include how to perform CPR and how to use a defibrillator run by FVFR will be held in Misterton and West Stockwith in the coming months, and these will be publicised locally.
If you are interested in finding out more information about Community Defibrillators or about FVFR, please visit the website www.fvfr.co.uk , Facebook https://www.facebook.com/fivevillagesfirstresponders or email contact@fvfr.co.uk.
