Community Defibrillators

When out and about in your local village, town or city, you may spot a defibrillator, usually in a case, mounted on a wall. They are often in a brightly coloured cabinet such as red, green or yellow so that they can be easily identified and are there to save a life in an emergency.

Community defibrillators can be used by any member of public when in an emergency. Defibrillators are used when somebody suffers a sudden cardiac arrest and they make the difference between life and death. Having a defibrillator in your local community vastly increases the chance of a life being saved when someone has fallen ill.

Community defibrillators are usually in a case that requires a code to be entered before you can access the defibrillator inside. This is to ensure it doesn’t get damaged or vandalised. If in an emergency and you need to open the defibrillator cabinet, most defibrillators cases simply require you to call 999. The case will have a short code on which you will tell the emergency services and from here they will give you the information you need to unlock it.

Also known as public access defibrillators (PADs), you will more than likely find them dotted around your local town or village. Next time you go for a walk, take a look out for your nearest one so that you are prepared, should you ever find yourself in an emergency.