Right now in the UK, fewer than 1 in 10 will survive an out of hospital cardiac arrest…
But with early bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) plus defibrillation within 3-5 min of collapse, we could see survival rates as high as 75%.
Great Western Air Ambulance Charity (GWAAC) send the skill and equipment of a hospital Emergency Department to the scene of patients suffering a life-threatening emergency and with cardiac arrests representing a third of our incidents, we want to do everything possible to improve outcomes.
And that’s where you come in. We’re helping to install public defibrillators in Bristol and the surrounding counties and need volunteers to cover ‘patches’ within these areas, performing simple checks on the defibrillators we’re putting into these communities. Full training is provided as is the satisfaction of knowing that you’re taking care of the people around you should they ever suffer a cardiac arrest.
Expectations:
- Check your ‘patch’ of defibrillators every 2 weeks (open the cabinet, check the status light, and take a photo) and report these checks to us at GWAAC. This ensures we can keep the defibs known to 999 call handlers and there if they’re ever needed.
- If a defib in your ‘patch’ is used, you will be emailed by the central database of defibs, the Circuit. We need you to visit the site and check whether it’s been used. If it has, we have a process for ensuring we can get it back and for how to replace the consumables (pads/batteries)
- That’s it. You will join a very special section of our communities as a GWAAC Defib Guardian and as a result, offered various dates in the year to visit our airbase (where you will be suitably showered with gratitude for what you’re doing for shared community!)
Interested in finding out more? Want to apply? Contact joe.hughes@gwaac.com.