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Daily Record
Daily Record
National
Clare Damodaran

Demand for potentially life-saving defibrillators on the rise after high-profile incidents

Demand for potentially life-saving medical equipment across Perth and Kinross is on the increase after high-profile incidents.

Pete Richardson from First Aid Perthshire revealed this week that enquiries regarding defibrillators had grown significantly in the past few weeks.

It comes after Danish footballer Christian Eriksen suffered a cardiac arrest on the pitch at the Euros last month.

And a few weeks later young Blairgowrie rugby player Hamish Bell almost died when he suffered a cardiac arrest during a training session.

In both cases, defibrillators played a key role in a positive outcome.

Pete was speaking as the region’s latest community defibrillator was installed in Blairgowrie High Street in an old telephone box close to the former TSB building.

He said: “I worked with the community council providing community training on the use of defibrillators last year before lockdown when the defib at Davidson’s in the Wellmeadow was installed.

“They got in touch again this year about the phone box and I was able to put them in touch with one of my contacts who sells defibs all over the UK.

“We’re hoping to arrange some more community defib training over the coming months.

“They are so easy to use though that you don’t need to be trained to use them – the machine talks you through what to do and so does the call operator when you have dialled 999.”

Pete added: “If this machine is used then the information recorded during the incident will be uploaded to Heartsine which helps them improve and develop the equipment.

“Heartsine will also then replace the battery and the pads for free.

“If the machine is not used, the battery and pads should last for four years.”

Pete also urged anyone with a defib to register it with national defibrillator network The Circuit.

There are dozens of defibrillators across Perth and Kinross. A map with their locations is available on the council website.

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