Burton Overy Parish Council

Burton Overy Village Defibrillators

The village is provided with two semi-automatic defibrillators.

One is located to the right hand side of the village hall, Rectory End, in a yellow cabinet mounted in the wall, clearly marked by a sign on the front of the village hall.

The second is located at The Bell Inn on the outside wall of the entrance porch (right hand side), again in a yellow cabinet.

Both units are unlocked and readily accessible day or night. Have a look and familiarise yourselves with the locations.

The parish council periodically hosts training events in the operation of the defibrillators. These are usually held in the village hall and are publicised at appropriate times around the village. A number of residents in the village have already undertaken this training, however, it is important to know that you do not need to be trained to use a defibrillator – the ones provided in the village operate on an automatic system that quite literally talk you through what you will need to do.

The Resuscitation Council UK has issued new advice on carrying out reduced risk, hands-only CPR following the Covid 19 pandemic.

Recognise cardiac arrest by looking for the absence of signs of life and the absence of normal breathing. Do not listen or feel for breathing by placing your ear and cheek close to the patient's mouth. If you are in any doubt about confirming cardiac arrest, the default position is to start chest compressions until help arrives.

Make sure an ambulance is on its way. If COVID 19 is suspected, tell them when you call 999.

If there is a perceived risk of infection, rescuers should place a cloth/towel over the victims mouth and nose and attempt compression only CPR and early defibrillation until the ambulance (or advanced care team) arrives. Put hands together in the middle of the chest and push hard and fast. Early use of a defibrillator significantly increases the person's chances of survival and does not increase risk of infection.

If the rescuer has access to any form of personal protective equipment (PPE) this should be worn.

After performing compression-only CPR, all rescuers should wash their hands thoroughly with soap and water; alcohol-based hand gel is a convenient alternative. They should also seek advice from the NHS 111 coronavirus advice service or medical adviser.

If you'd like to see how it's done, Vinnie Jones will show you on this link , but please don't forget to cover their nose and mouth too.

Should you be in a situation requiring urgent first aid and the defibrillator, there are some basic steps to take:

• Check for any danger to yourself or others;
• Call 999 - the ambulance service will talk to you and provide immediate support. They are aware of our defibrillator and its location.
• More important than the defibrillator at this stage is the provision of CPR – this can keep a patient alive by ensuring oxygen from chest compressions can reach the brain and heart whilst an ambulance and trained person travels to you; Chest compressions are more important than breathing into a patient - the ratio of chest compressions is 30 compressions to 2 breaths;
• Ensure a trained person is called to come straight to you to help;
• Call for help from someone who can fetch the defibrillator from where it is located - the external right hand side of the Village Hall– this may or may not be the trained person depending on location - their focus will be on helping the patient;
• A trained person, once informed, will assist by ensuring CPR and operating the defibrillator; but as stated above, you will be able to operate it if needed with no risk of causing harm. Don't forget the 999 Operator is there to assist.
• Should you need to start the defibrillator - just press the start button. The unit will instruct you to remove the sealed pack of chest pads from the slot at the bottom of the unit from where they are attached by an electrical lead. It will talk you through where to place the 2 pads on the patient, and will then analyse to assess if it is necessary to deliver an electrical shock to the patient's heart; only if it is necessary will it tell you which button to press. It may repeat the process.