Defibrillators (or automated external defibrillators to use their technical term) are portable electronic devices which can diagnose and correct heart arrhythmia in the event of a heart attack. They come in a number of forms, often in vandal-proof casings for outdoor public use, and are regarded as highly effective by emergency responders in treating victims of a heart attack. They can be sited either inside public buildings or fixed to external walls for public use outside of normal business hours.
We met recently with a representative of the North-East Ambulance Service (NEAS) to talk through our plans in greater detail and also to seek advice on locating defibrillators and arranging public training for their use. We have also met with residents and other organisations, including our parish councils, to ask them if they would like to have defibrillators in their particular area and, if so, where they would like to see them located.
Our next steps are to assess requirements on our patch and then get back in touch with the NEAS to finalise our plans before we approach the East Durham Area Action Partnership to draw up an application for funding.
We will report on progress on this blog site in due course. In the meantime if you have a location in mind for a defibrillator please let us know in the usual way.