East Midlands Ambulance Service (EMAS) officially launched its Community Public Access Defibrillator (CPAD) programme in Broxtowe on Thursday 26 September with Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health, Anna Soubry MP, in attendance.
The CPAD programme will see defibrillators in large yellow steel cases in public areas such as cinemas, shopping centres, commercial business, sports and leisure centres across the East Midlands. The defibrillator boxes cost £800 each and are funded by EMAS, who have implemented the new scheme.
When EMAS receives a 999 call reporting a cardiac arrest, the caller is told where the defibrillator is located, and what the access code is for the cabinet. The life-saving machines can be accessed 24/7 and used by anyone who witnesses an arrest as the machine gives clear instructions on what to do.
The defibrillators in Broxtowe are located at Burrows & Close Chemists in Kimberley and Stapleford, The Wellington Inn, Eastwood, Attenborough Village Sports Pavilion and the Council building on the West side of Eastwood. An additional two defibrillators are set to be fitted in the coming weeks at the Burrows & Close Chemists in Chilwell and Beeston.
The launch of the scheme will take place at Burrows & Close Chemist, 45 Greens Lane, Kimberley, Nottingham, NG16 2PB Kimberley at 11am.
Michael Barnett-Connolly, Head of Community Response at EMAS, said “The CPAD scheme is the first of its kind for EMAS and we hope to support more roll outs in the future. The installation of the defibrillators will improve access and complement the 766 static sites which are already in existence across our area. Anna Soubry MP has shown great support and involvement in the campaign and we are delighted that residents in her constituency will now benefit from this lifesaving equipment.”
Pete Winson, a Community Training Team Leader at EMAS and Excellence Ambassador for the British Heart Foundation said, “The figures show just how vital every second is to a person suffering from cardiac arrest. After four minutes from initially suffering from an attack a person’s chances of survival reduce by 10% per minute if they don’t receive any treatment.”
In previous years EMAS has worked with the Community HeartBeat Trust and the British Heart Foundation to provide defibrillators in public areas and has plans for a 50% increase in the number of CPAD sites over the next three years.
