A campaign in Caithness to locate every defibrillator in the county has got off to a good start with ten of the life-saving automated devices already identified.
Campaign organiser the Riverbank Practice Patient Participation Group (RPPPG) in Thurso – in conjunction with the Caithness Heart Support Group in Wick – has been asking local residents to help compile a comprehensive list of the devices.
The move follows research by the RPPPG that showed that many residents were unaware of these Automated External Defibrillator (AED) devices, what they are used for and where they are located throughout the county.
The group is keen to avoid a scenario like the one played out at the Oban Railway Station last week when rescuers could not access the public defibrillator in an emergency situation.
Panic in Oban train station as defibrillator couldn’t be accessed during an emergency
Billy Mitchell of the RPPPG said: “We are trying to encourage the residents of Caithness to get involved in letting us know where they have seen an AED and for us to contact the various organisations/businesses making sure the devices are registered with Scottish Ambulance Service.
“If the devices are not registered, then the public when dialling 999 would not be directed to where the nearest AED is located.”
