On Monday 7 September, Rother Responders organised an evening of practical training designed to give local people the confidence to use a defibrillator in an emergency. Attending were people from the stewarding team of the Rye Arts Festival, the U3A, the Heritage Centre and the Rye Museum.
Tracy Pepler, Sally Savory and George Thompson led the session, offering plenty of hands-on experience and encouragement as participants practised using the equipment and were guided through the correct procedure.
Perhaps the most important lesson of the evening was a reassuring one: if someone suffers a cardiac arrest, doing something is far better than being frightened of doing the wrong thing.
If a person is unresponsive and not breathing normally, the first priority is to call 999 and begin CPR and to give your postcode position. The ambulance call handler can give instructions and tell you where the nearest available public-access defibrillator is located. If other people are present, one person can be sent to collect it while CPR continues.
Once the defibrillator arrives, switch it on and listen. The machine will give clear step-by-step instructions, including where to position the pads on the casualty’s bare chest. It will analyse the heart rhythm and will only advise or deliver a shock if one is needed. There is no need to be frightened that you might accidentally shock someone who does not require it.
Participants also learned that CPR should continue until the defibrillator tells them to pause, the casualty shows signs of life, or the emergency services arrive and take over.
Other important points to take away from the evening included putting a mobile phone on loudspeaker so the 999 operator can continue to guide you; asking someone else to fetch the defibrillator rather than leaving the casualty if you are alone; and making sure nobody is touching the casualty while the machine is analysing the heart rhythm or delivering a shock.
Most importantly, you do not need to have had formal training to use a public-access defibrillator. The machines are specifically designed so that members of the public can use them in an emergency.
The evening gave those attending something potentially more valuable than simply knowing which buttons to press: the confidence to step forward and help.
In a cardiac arrest, every second matters and one day that confidence could help save a life.
Image Credits: Kt bruce .