Emergency defibrillators throughout Fylde have been upgraded as part of a refresh to keep these life-saving devices in perfect condition.
Defibrillators are medical devices which use electrical pulses to counteract the cardiac arrythmias leading to full cardiac arrest, allowing an operator to potentially save the life of a person experiencing these critical irregularities in their heartbeat.
Fylde Council have maintained defibrillators in locations throughout the borough for several years, and it was recently determined that new replacements would be prudent to ensure their availability in times of urgent need.
Cllr Thomas Threlfall, Chairman of the Enviromental, Health and Housing Committee, said: “A single life lost for the lack of an accessible defibrillator is one too many. I’m pleased that the Environmental, Health and Housing Committee have been able to make sure these vital pieces of equipment continue to be available. We will continue to focus on increasing the number of these life-saving apparatus in strategic locations.”
According to the North West Ambulance Service, there are around 3,000 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests each year in the North West of England, but just one in 15 people survive. Every minute that passes without CPR or defibrillation reduces the chances of survival by up to 10 per cent, but immediate CPR and defibrillation can more than double the chances of survival.
Should you need to make use of a defibrillator, contact 999 urgently. You will be directed to the nearest cabinet, provided an access code, and given instruction on what to do next.
If you have a defibrillator available, consider registering it with The Circuit, the UK’s national defibrillator network. This provides the NHS services with vital information about defibrillators across the UK, so that in the crucial moments after a cardiac arrest, they can be accessed quickly to help save lives.
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