A new defibrillator has been installed in the porch at St. Andrew’s porch, between Church Lane and Langar Hall. It is funded jointly by the Church and Langar Hall.

Other public ones are in the phone boxes in Langar and in Barnstone and in many other places, maybe also some private ones. Emergency services can bring them. A defibrillator restarts a heart in a case of cardiac arrest / no pulse but the machines can tell whether that is the case.

If you ever need one, call 999 and they will tell you where the nearest one is, how to unlock the defibrillator with any accessories and what to do. Ideally it takes at least one person to attend to the patient, giving CPR and another person to fetch the defibrillator. It really needs continuous use of a mobile phone (preferably hands free) to stay in contact with 999. The defibrillator must be with the patient within 3 or 4 minutes and then it will give you instructions.

It is worth knowing a little about what to do if you find someone unconscious, with no pulse or unable to breath. This might avoid panic and save a life but the 999 call and the machine will guide you. There are online guides (I’ll try to give a link to one) and short training sessions to use before you face a real situation. Learn the basics of CPR to keep the patient’s blood flowing if their heart has stopped.

I cannot give proper advice but it is important to:

• Call 999
• Ensure the patient and you are in a safe position (traffic, electricity, fire, water, hazards etc.)
• See if the person is breathing (clear any blockage and try mouth to mouth) or conscious or has a pulse or has signs of severe bleeding, injury or serious conditions
• Do CPR especially if no pulse until a defibrillator takes over
• Get others to help with the patient and fetching a defibrillator

Here’s a web site that explains what to do. Click on the links to Primary Survey, CPR and Secondary Survey.

https://www.sja.org.uk/get-advice/first-aid-advice/how-to/how-to-use-a-defibrillator/