HomeCommunity Defibrillators
Within the Parish, there are three community defibrillators in the villages of Dadlington, Shenton and Sutton Cheney for use by the public on victims of sudden cardiac arrest (heart attacks). These devices are accessible 24 hours a day. A defibrillator is a portable machine that is fully automated, sending an electric shock to the heart muscle to return it to its normal rhythm.
IMPORTANT: In the event of an emergency, please dial 999 and ask for an ambulance before you do anything else. The operator will confirm the location of the nearest defibrillator and give you the number code to unlock the door of the defibrillator cabinet and access the equipment.
YOU DO NOT NEED TO BE TRAINED TO USE THIS EQUIPMENT - THE DEVICE WILL TALK YOU THROUGH WHAT YOU NEED TO DO. REMEMBER TO DIAL 999 FIRST.
Where can I find the defibrillators? The devices are is located in the former red telephone boxes on:
- Main Street, Sutton Cheney
- Pump Lane, Shenton
- The Green, Dadlington
What is a defibrillator? A defibrillator is a potentially life-saving device which delivers an electrical current that shocks the heart back into a normal rhythm following a sudden cardiac arrest. They are safe and easy to use. The units cost up to £2,000 each and are wall-mounted in bright yellow metal boxes. Defibrillators were installed amid concerns that ambulance response times for rural locations can be lengthy.
Who supplied the unit? The Parish Council teamed up with a national charity, the Community HeartBeat Trust, which already supplies defibrillators to Parish Councils and local groups across the country. The Trust supplied all the equipment and provides ongoing training and advice. The equipment has to be regularly checked and replaced as necessary.
Who will pay for it in future? Since the Parish Council is responsible for the ongoing costs of maintenance and replacement of the units, funds will come from the parish budget. A ring-fenced fund has been set up, which will also cover additional costs of replacement consumables etc.
