Community Defibrillators.
There are three community defibrillators within the parish of Beckford. The first was installed in the redundant telephone kiosk in Grafton, shortly after the second was installed on the wall of the Community Village Hall in Beckford and, more recently, a third was installed on a post in Blacksmiths Lane in Little Beckford.
What do they do? If someone has had a heart attack they may help to put the heart into a more efficient rhythm by giving a strong electric shock.
How do I get into the cabinet? All the cabinets have a keypad lock on them for security. There are instructions on the front of all cabinets. First call the ambulance who will give you the code; then start CPR; then use the defibrillator following the instructions.
Do they always work? No, they only work if someone has first done CPR. The heart may be too irreparably damaged for them to work. The defibrillator is designed to be used by untrained people who follow the audio instructions; however, statistics show they work better if people are trained.
Will I get a shock from a defibrillator? No, you cannot get a shock if the defibrillator detects a normal pulse.
The European Resuscitation Council issue new guidelines on 31st March 2021 and Resuscitation Council UK are expected to issue their guidelines, which will be broadly similar, shortly afterwards. I would hope to be able to deliver a community course later in the summer, following any new guidelines; this will cover CPR, use of a face mask, defibrillator, recovery position, choking, shock, bleeding and more. In the meantime, please go and look at the defibrillators and familiarize yourselves with access procedure.
Councilor for Grafton, Nettie
20/03/2021