Life saving kits (AED & Bleed Control)
Automated External Defibrillator (AED)
An AED is used to administer an electric shock to a person who is having a cardiac arrest. AED's are designed to allow non-medical personnel to save lives. AED's can also be referred to as Public Access Defibrillators (PAD) if they are made accessible in a location for public use.
AEDs are designed to be used by members of the public who have not received any training. They provide audible instructions and sometimes visual prompts on a screen. The AED will analyse the heart’s electrical rhythm and if it detects a rhythm likely to respond to a shock, it will charge itself ready to deliver a shock. Some devices then deliver the shock automatically without needing any further action by the operator; others instruct the operator to press a button to deliver the shock (these are often referred to as 'semi-automatic' AEDs). After this the AED will tell the rescuer to give the victim CPR. After a fixed period, the AED will tell the rescuers not to touch the victim while it checks the heart rhythm and a further shock is given (if it is needed).
An AED will not allow a shock to be given unless it is needed, meaning it is extremely unlikely that it will do any harm to the person who has collapsed.
Where can I find my nearest AED / Defibrillator?
You can use the HeartSafe AED Locator or Defib finder (see other websites links on this page). These sites allows you to enter your postcode to find your nearest AED that has been registered.
How do I register my AED?
The Circuit – the national defibrillator network, provides the NHS ambulance services with vital information about defibrillators across the UK so that in those crucial moments after a cardiac arrest, they can be accessed quickly to help save lives.
That’s why we urgently need you to register your defibrillator today.
Please follow the link on this page to register your AED on The Circuit
Bleed Control Kits
Inverclyde Council community warden and enforcement wardens carry bleed control kits to help save lives. Working with the Daniel Baird Foundation, the Council purchased bleed control kits to be carried within warden vehicles, increasing the likelihood of access in the event of a stabbing or any other emergency involving traumatic injury.
A public access bleed control cabinet is also installed within Greenock town centre at the junction of Cathcart Street and Station Avenue. The location is shown in the map below. Access to this cabinet will be given by emergency call handlers after phoning 999.
The kits contain special dressings and bandages, which have been designed to seal wounds and control serious bleeding, as well as basic instructions. The vital few minutes after an injury or wound occurs are often paramount in preventing death in the cases of severe bleeding. This is why ‘zero responders’, members of the public who are the very first people to arrive on the scene, need to be able to quickly access the kits and start using them immediately. Residents can call 999 to be directed to the nearest kit from the national database.
Inverclyde Council encourages all local organisations to acquire a kit for their premises in the event that it could save a live. The links to buy a kit can be found on the Daniel Baird Foundation website available from the other websites links section on this page.