We’d like to encourage everyone living and working in the village to familiarise themselves with the sites of the life-saving defibrillator machines and learn how to use them.
An estimated 60,000 people each year in the UK have an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest and, sadly, less than 10% of those people will survive. Yet if a bystander is able to start CPR, they could double a person’s chances of survival.
Lindfield has nine defib machines that we know about, which includes the latest installation at Oathall school - at the top of the drive, before you get to the gate at reception. Oathall actually has another two defibrillators within the school premises too.
Some of these units are available 24/7 (marked OUTSIDE) as they are installed outside of any locked or restricted area. The defib on the wall at Potential Personal Training on Lindfield Business Park, while it is inside, the gym is open long hours, so is available from early until at least 9pm every day.
Scaynes Hill now boasts an impressive three defibrillators: at the Millennium Centre, the service station/shop and at the primary school.
All of the machines are portable and contain full instructions, but why not give yourself a head start with an online tutorial?
The Resuscitation Council (UK) has produced plenty of information to help us all learn more about what to do in this dramatic and highly pressured time, should we find ourselves involved.
You can watch videos and play interactive games to increase your understanding. You can even download an app - see www.resus.org.uk/apps/lifesaver for more information.
At Lindfield Life, we are committed to reprinting this map and information on a regular basis in order to familiarise the whole village regarding access to this lifesaving equipment - which can be used by anyone. Please give it a go. With our emergency services so overworked, we as communities can get better at helping ourselves, and it really does make a difference. If anyone knows of any other publicly available defibs in the area, do please email us (editor@lindfieldlife.co.uk) and we’ll update the map for next time.