Linton Defibrillator!
Linton has a new defibrillator! See below, for how to use it
The Parish Council has arranged for a defibrillator to be acquired and installed on the outside wall of the Village Hall. At a meeting on 27 November 2017, the defibrillator was brought into commission by John Rivers, President of the Kent Association of Local Councils, who also demonstrated how to use it.
Defibrillators are not cheap, and the Parish Council is very grateful for several grants and donations it has received to assist with the cost, from:
Kent County Council (thanks to Cllr Paulina Stockell)
Linton Walkers (thanks to Jerry Whitmarsh)
Staplehurst Masonic Lodge (thanks to Bob Garrett, Bull Inn licensee)
Rapid Relief Team (thanks to Ben Fleck) .. more about RRT is here
.. and to Linton Village Hall, for providing the location and an electricity supply
How to use the defibrillator:
- The device is for use only on someone who is unconscious and is not breathing
- Perform cardiac resuscitation, while you –
- Get someone to dial 999 and tell the operator you have someone unconscious and not breathing, and –
- Send someone to fetch the defibrillator from the front wall of Linton Village Hall.
- Press the start button on the machine and follow the verbal instructions it gives you
- If the person starts breathing unaided, place them in the recovery position unless you suspect their spine may be damaged
Do not stop administering CPR in order to fetch the defibrillator yourself. CPR is more important
The defibrillator will not shock or harm a person whose heart is beating.
No-one will be placed in a legally compromising situation either by doing, or by not doing, the above.
If you have time, much more information is available on the Internet, for example this video from the British Heart Foundation. Note that the Linton defibrillator is fully automatic once powered up and will deliver shocks itself, as needed.
And, would you like to help the local branch of the British Heart Foundation raise funds for cardiac research?