Local Story - St John's the Baptist Church Irlam

Robert, who is the vicar at St John's the Baptist Church in Irlam recently installed a publicly accessible defibrillator and outdoor cabinet. They pride themselves to be relaxed and friendly with a gentle and prayerful atmosphere.

(Above: St Johns coffee morning in full conversation)

The church runs a variety of activities including ‘Coffee Morning’ on the first Saturday of the month, 10am till 12pm, any visitors are welcome to enjoy refreshments, stalls, cakes and a raffle, all in aid of church funds. With a large footfall daily, Rob wanted to assure the health and safety of his staff and visitors by installing a defibrillator.

Why Do We Need Defibrillators? 

Defibrillators are medical devices used to treat life-threatening cardiac arrhythmias, such as ventricular fibrillation (VF) and pulseless ventricular tachycardia (VT). These conditions disrupt the heart's ability to pump blood effectively to the vital organs including the brain, leading to Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA). Here are key reasons why defibrillators are essential:

1. Restoring Normal Heart Rhythm: Defibrillators deliver a controlled electric shock to the heart. This shock stops abnormal rhythm and allows the heart's natural pacemaker to re-establish a normal rhythm. This process is called defibrillation.
2. Preventing Sudden Cardiac Death: SCA is a leading cause of death worldwide. Immediate defibrillation significantly increases the chances of survival. For each minute that defibrillation is delayed, the likelihood of survival decreases by 10%.
3. Widespread Accessibility: Defibrillators are designed to be user-friendly, enabling laypersons to provide life-saving treatment before emergency medical services (EMS) arrive.
4. Improving Outcomes in Cardiac Emergencies: In cases of cardiac arrest, combining Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR)  with early defibrillation has been shown to improve survival rates significantly. Defibrillators are an integral part of the chain of survival in cardiac emergencies.
5. Versatility: Modern defibrillators come with additional features such as monitoring capabilities, which help in assessing the patient's heart rhythm continuously and making informed decisions about ongoing treatment.

Publicly Accessible Defibrillators

Rob has installed his defibrillator on the exterior of the church in an outdoor heated cabinet facing the busy main road so it is accessible to the local emergency services and the local community 24 hours a day 7 days a week. Rob explained that “Public Access Defibrillators are important as they are available to members of the public and the emergency services if someone suffers a cardiac arrest, especially when we have many activities at the church and are based on a busy main road”

(Above: The members of St Johns with their new defibrillator)

Defibrillators are becoming more visible in public spaces such as airports, schools, sports arenas, shopping malls, and other high-traffic areas where cardiac emergencies may occur. The aim is to make these life-saving devices readily available so that bystanders can use them to administer treatment while waiting for professional medical help to arrive. 

Rob has also added his defibrillator on The Circuit, The Circuit is a national defibrillator network that shows where defibrillators can be found. The Circuit brings nationwide defibrillator location information together into one database. 

When you register your defibrillator on The Circuit, the location of the defibrillator and status is instantly synchronised with the emergency services' systems to ensure the information is kept up to date and ready to help save lives. 

We are delighted to be supporting Robert and St Johns Church and will continue to support them with all defibrillator supplies and knowledge needs.

Got a story for us? contact one of the team today on 0161 776 7422.