AED

Remember:

In an emergency FIRST DIAL 999  and THEN seek help to get the defibrillator.

We have two defibrillators in the Parish: One in the entrance to the Village Hall and one on the left side of the Halfway House Pub in Kineton. The emergency services will give you the code to open the box.

What is a defibrillator or AED?

A defibrillator is a computerised medical device delivers an electrical current through the chest which aims to shock the heart back into a normal rhythm allowing it to pump again.  Rapid response using automated technology can significantly improve the quality of life of a survivor, as the longer the brain is starved of oxygen, the more damage that can occur.  An AED is a portable defibrillator especially designed for people with little or no medical background.  When applied to the victim, voice commands and screen messages will guide the user step-by-step through the process and its intelligent technology will only allow it to shock a ‘shockable’ heart rhythm.   AED technology opens a window for the public to take on a key role to support emergency services who would otherwise be hindered by the time it takes to reach the victim. 

Is there a need?

Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA) happens around 140,000 times a year in the UK, making it one of the UK’s largest killers – equivalent to a jumbo jet crashing every day! The potential for saving a life is dependent upon time, the faster medical help can be attained, the better the chance of survival. Clinical studies suggest you have less than 5 minutes from the event to save the life, this decreasing by up to 23% per minute. In rural areas it takes time to get medical help, so Community Public Access Defibrillators (cPAD) have a very important part to play in helping save lives in rural communities. cPAD schemes are reckoned to be about 10x more effective in saving life post hospital than other community schemes alone. SCA can happen to anyone at any time, and is not age related.