Defibrillators (AED's) in Tarvin – Locations

The events of last Sunday where Danish footballer Christian Eriksen suffered a  cardiac arrest  during the first match at the Euros were a stark reminder of how useful a defibrillator can be. Thankfully, Eriksen is recovering from his ordeal but it is perhaps a pertinent time to remind everyone where all the portable Automated External Defibrillators (AED's) are located in the village. They really can save someone's life in the event of a cardiac arrest.

The AED's in Tarvin and Oscroft are all registered with the North West Ambulance Service. We would all hope that it never gets used, at least they are available should the need arise. The locations of the devices are as follows:

• On the Scout hut wall on the King George V playing field (this one is suitable for use on infants)
• In the porch of the Primary school (suitable for all ages)
• On the wall by Jacqueline Wilson funeral director, High Street, Tarvin 
• On the Green in Oscroft (Adults only)
• In the porch of the Community Centre.

All are accessible 24/7 apart from the Community Centre where it is only accessible when the Centre is open, in normal times this is 80/90 hours per week.
AED's are easy and safe to use, as spoken instructions are very clearly given. It must be stressed, however that the machine DOES NOT REPLACE CPR (Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation) but is to be used in conjunction with it. Chest compressions are needed to pump blood around the body and rescue breaths are needed to put more oxygen in.  Early CPR before an ambulance arrives is known to double or triple the chances of survival. If the heart has been kept oxygenated, it's easier to re-start. Being able to do CPR – 30 chest compressions followed by 2 rescue breaths – will help pump oxygenated blood round the body's vital organs. If a second person can bring the defibrillator to you, then the chances of the patient surviving are greatly improved.

The code that unlocks the defibrillator will be given to you ONLY when you dial 999. Once open, remove the device and take it to where the patient is and open the pack. The instructions are clear and easy to follow. YOU CAN DO NO HARM TO THE PATIENT FROM THE PROPER USE OF THE MACHINE.

For more information on CPR go to the NHS website  there is a video from the BBC on how to perform CPR please  click here.  For Infants, there are slight differences.  We have included two links, one for  CPR on babies  (0-1year) and one for  CPR for children over 1 year.

We all hope we are never put in the position where we need to save a life. But these AED devices have and do save lives every day.

Ed: Thank you to the resident of Tarvin who requested this information