A new life-saving defibrillator has been installed in Witney Town Centre. Sudden cardiac arrest accounts for around 100,000 deaths in the UK each year. Early intervention, CPR and access to a defibrillator are key to increasing an individual’s chances of survival.
When one of the iconic red phone boxes adjacent to the Town Hall came up for adoption, it seemed highly appropriate that Witney Town Council should take it on and turn it into a defibrillator station. With help from the Rotary Club of Witney the telephone box was cleaned, painted and the glass replaced. The AED (Automated external defibrillator) has now been installed and is fully functional.
Dion Hickin, Chairman of Rotary Club of Witney, said;
“The new defibrillator installed in the Market Square is an example of a charitable organisation, such as Rotary working with the Town Council to provide an important piece of life saving equipment in the town Centre.
By following the simple instructions any member of the community can play an essential part in saving a life.
The Rotary Club of Witney is proud to work with the residents and the Council to make the town centre safer.”
The device, which can deliver a brief electric jolt to establish a normal heart rhythm, in the event of cardiac arrest, is kept within a secure high-visibility cabinet inside the phone box, which is accessible 24 hours a day. In an emergency, callers dialling 999 and quoting the unique location code will be given the access code needed to remove the defibrillator from the cabinet.
The AED is fully automated and simple to use following the written instructions and voice prompts which guide users clearly through the steps required. Although no special skills or training is required, training has been provided to Town Council staff and adjacent businesses to familiarise them with the equipment and its location.
In fact using the defibrillator is so easy that Bedfordshire’s Chief Fire Officer, Paul Fuller, has previously been quoted as saying;
“You don’t have to be a fireman to use a fire extinguisher, you don’t have to be a paramedic to use a defibrillator.”
Details of the device and its location have also been registered with the NHS South Central Ambulance Service so when you dial 999 they can quickly identify the location of your nearest AED. You can also download the NHS South and Central ‘Save a Life’ app to your phone and that will give you the location of all registered defibrillators across the region.
Leader of Witney Town Council, Toby Morris added;
“It is very reassuring to think that, if called upon; any one of us could operate the defibrillator and potentially save a life whilst waiting for professional help to arrive. The Town Council’s grateful thanks go to the Rotary Club of Witney for their fundraising efforts.
We are immensely proud to support this community access defibrillator which, whilst we hope it is never needed, could save lives.
Published by Witney Town Council 17.4.2018
