AED Competition

People living in Exmoor are being offered the chance to have a life saving piece of equipment in their community, thanks to St John Ambulance and the Exmoor National Park Authority.

The National Park Authority won an Automated External Defibrillator (AED) - a machine that can shock the heart to restart it after a cardiac arrest – in a prize draw organised by St John Ambulance.

It is now offering to donate the AED to an organisation, village or community within the National Park that can demonstrate a need for the life saving defibrillator.

In the UK, one person suffers a heart attack every two minutes and as many as one in three will die before they reach hospital*. The chances of survival fall by up to 10 per cent for each minute that passes without defibrillation yet increase by more than 50 per cent if a defibrillator is used within the first four minutes.

Hundreds of St John Ambulance customers who attended first aid or health and safety training courses in the South West between July and 30 November were entered into the prize draw.

The National Park Authority won the defibrillator, worth £1,295, because Assistant Planning Officer Donna Crabtree attended a First Aid at Work course in Exeter on 2 November. She is now one of the first aiders based at its head office, Exmoor House in Dulverton.

Rachel Oxenham, Corporate and Customer Support Manager for the Exmoor National Park Authority, said: ‘We were delighted to win the AED but feel it may be put to even better use if held somewhere other than in our office.’

‘Exmoor covers 267 square miles and there are many more remote villages and areas that could benefit from having a defibrillator. It can take time for medical assistance to arrive so having a defibrillator to hand could really save lives. We would be interested in any suggestions for a good home for the AED on Exmoor where it will best serve the community.’

John Cavanagh, Regional Director for St John Ambulance in the South West, said: ‘We are really pleased that the AED will help save lives in Exmoor.

Published: 18 January 2012