Defibrillator installed on Cannock Chase

In an emergency ALWAYS dial 999 first!

In the case of a suspected cardiac arrest, time is of the essence and you must dial 999 before attempting to locate your nearest Automated External Defibrillator (AED).

Alternative number
You can also dial 112 from any mobile number, anywhere in Europe (and most parts of the world) and this will also transfer you to the appropriate emergency services. Dialing 112 will also triangulate your position to the emergency services so they can accurately pin point your location if necessary.

 
 

A lifesaving community defibrillator has been installed on Cannock Chase to serve the well-used public car park in Penkridge Bank Road, and surrounding area. The project has been made possible through the award of funding from three local County Councillors and kind permission of One Another Ministries, who have generously allowed the unit to be sited on their premises (and Ministry) at the White House in Marquis Drive, Brindley Heath. 

Keith Dawson, Community Defibrillator Facilitator at West Midlands Ambulance Service was invited to attend a meeting of Brindley Heath Parish Council in early 2016 to give an informed talk about the benefits of heart defibrillation in the community. 100,000 people die through sudden cardiac arrest every year, and every minute without CPR and defibrillation reduces someone’s chances of survival by 10%. Use of an automated external defibrillator (AED) can beat an ambulance arriving by five minutes.

Members of the Parish Council then considered possible sites that could benefit from an AED within the parish and concluded that a prime location would be Penkridge Bank car park as it is very popular and well used by members of the public visiting Cannock Chase.

The Parish Council applied to County Councillors George Adamson, Mrs Christine Mitchell and Alan Dudson (in July and October 2016) through their Local Community Fund allocations and Parish Council Members were delighted that all three County Member agreed to support the project. The grant aid has now provided an opportunity for lives to be saved in this popular but remote spot within Cannock Chase District.

The financial contributions the County Councillors have made are: 

Councillor George Adamson representing Hednesford and Rawnsley Division: £750

Councillor Mrs Christine Mitchell representing Hednesford and Rawnsley Division: £750

Councillor Alan Dudson representing Brereton and Ravenhill Division: £500

The total cost of the project is £1999 with an additional small on-going cost for an electricity supply to power a heater within the cabinet. It is operated by a thermostat and switches on during very cold weather. 

After receiving the agreement of colleagues at One Another Ministries International and receipt of the value of funding, an order was raised with the charity AEDdonate who arranged for installation of the equipment.

AEDdonate has undertaken surveys to identify the best position, has specified the equipment, liaised with the installer, registered the device with West Midlands Ambulance Service and will be arranging training for use of the equipment by members of the community. 

What to do if defibrillation is needed

The defibrillator is housed in a yellow locked cabinet sited on the side wall of the White House building (facing Marquis Drive, WS12 4PR). In the event of a person suffering a sudden cardiac arrest, a phone call should be made to the emergency services via the telephone number 999. The operator will arrange for an ambulance to be dispatched and in addition, will advise on the location of the nearest defibrillator. They will instantly know through GPS, the location of the caller. If there is one close by, an access code will be given so that the cabinet can be opened. The defibrillator equipment can then be removed from the cabinet (it has its own long life battery) and taken to the patient. It is straightforward to use and has built in step by step audio instructions. It is designed for effective use by people who have no medical training. The opportunity to access and administer heart defibrillation before Community First Responders and ambulance service crews arrive could be crucial to a successful outcome, and a full recovery for the patient.

Launch

A launch was held on Tuesday 14 March 2017. See photographs:   

 

Defib Sponsor.JPG

AEDdonate is a charity that helps to fund and site pubic access defibrillators into the community. Its aim is to empower communities to become heart safe, to raise awareness of the need for defibrillators and to work towards installing as many as possible in publicly accessible places. 

Sudden Cardiac Arrest kills approximately 100,000 people a year in the UK.

8 minute average UK ambulance response time

10% decrease in survival chances per minute

Public Access Defibrillator can beat ambulance by 5 minutes

Prompt defibrillation can reduce the burden on the NHS

Patient is able to return to work sooner and contribute to the economy

AEDdonate’s mission is to give the Ambulance Trusts’ ‘Public Access Defibrillator’ (PAD) scheme more Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs).

This is achieved through supporting Schools, Pubs, Clubs and Communities to fundraise for an AED which can then be placed onto the PAD scheme. 

 

From left to right: County Councillor Mrs Christine Mitchell, County Councillor George Adamson, Robert Lugar and Debby Lugar (One Another Ministries), Councillor Paul Adams (Chairman of Brindley Heath Parish Council)

From left to right: County Councillor Mrs Christine Mitchell, County Councillor George Adamson, Robert Lugar and Debby Lugar (One Another Ministries), Councillor Paul Adams (Chairman of Brindley Heath Parish Council)

From left to right: Trudy Williams (Clerk to Brindley Heath Parish Council), Robert and Debby Lugar (One Another Ministries), County Councillor Mrs Christine Mitchell, County Councillor George Adamson, Councillor Paul Adams (Chairman of Brindley Hea…

From left to right: Trudy Williams (Clerk to Brindley Heath Parish Council), Robert and Debby Lugar (One Another Ministries), County Councillor Mrs Christine Mitchell, County Councillor George Adamson, Councillor Paul Adams (Chairman of Brindley Heath Parish Council), District and Parish Councillor Alan Pearson, Jamie Richards (Head of AEDdonate), Fay Cooper (Rugeley and District Community First Responders) and James Shuttleworth (Rugeley and District Community First Responders)

From left to right: County Councillor Mrs Christine Mitchell, County Councillor George Adamson and District and Parish Councillor Alan Pearson

From left to right: County Councillor Mrs Christine Mitchell, County Councillor George Adamson and District and Parish Councillor Alan Pearson