Defibrillator ‘drop-in’ event held in Enderby Civic Centre

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Some of the attendees at the drop-in session
A group of attendees at the drop-in session get to see defibrillator use first-hand.
Photo: Enderby EYE

Over a dozen residents attended a Parish Council sponsored drop-in event to see demonstrations of defibrillator operation.

The event, between 2pm and 4pm on Saturday 17th November, took place in the main hall of the Civic Centre and was the second such event of its type since the public defibrillator was installed on the outside wall of the Co-op store in the village centre.

Parish Councillor Richard Hunt who has worked for the East Midlands Ambulance Service for a number of years presented the sessions and walked the attendees through the operation of the defibrillator device.

A defibrillator is a device that gives a high energy electric shock to the heart through the chest wall to someone who is in cardiac arrest. This high energy shock is called defibrillation, and it’s an essential life saving step in the chain of survival.

Using a ‘training’ defibrillator and a resusci annie (training dummy), he went through the actions to be taken if a member of the public came across a person who had collapsed and displayed signs of cardiac arrest or heart failure.

Richard explained it was not a ‘first-aid’ session in the traditional sense, but rather an opportunity to see the defibrillator equipment first hand and witness an imaginary scenario where it would be used.

Using anecdotal examples from his own experience he was able to underline the importance of this early intervention. Seconds count, and the ambulance service is unlikely to arrive quickly enough to resuscitate most victims

Anyone who comes across someone who has had a cardiac arrest or heart attack, it’s vital to call 999 and start CPR.

Emergency Service call operators are trained to respond to such a scenario and will assist callers on how to locate and deploy a defibrillator. There is a push to continually increase the number of public access defibrillators (PAD’s) and Richard said that some politicians would like to see defibrillators become as common as fire extinguishers.

The defibrillator itself has a built-in computer that delivers voice commands to aid the responder through the defibrillator’s operation. They are designed to be used by lay persons and guide the operator through the process by both verbal instructions and visual prompts.

It is hoped that further drop-in sessions can be arranged in the future, possibly also with representatives from local businesses attending.

Anyone who would like to arrange a ‘group’ session for an Enderby organisation or business is invited to get in touch with the Parish Council Tel: 0116 275 3711 or in person at the Council Office, Enderby Civic Centre, King Street, LE19 4NT. (Monday to Friday 9am – 12 noon)

Getting down to it. Cllr Richard Hunt demonstrates a defibrillator at the drop-in session at Enderby Civic Centre. Photo: Enderby EYE

 

CPR stands for cardiopulmonary resuscitation.
It’s a life saving medical procedure which is given to someone who is in cardiac arrest. It helps to pump blood around the person’s body when their heart can’t.

More information about CPR is available on the Heart Foundation website.