Today, a special ceremony is set to mark the completion of a project that’ll see Edinburgh’s entire fleet of 27 trams equipped with defibrillators.
As part of a pioneering partnership with St John Scotland, the city’s tramway became the first in the UK to carry the life-saving devices when they were installed in the core fleet of operational trams.
Now the remainder of the fleet is set to carry the equipment that can significantly improve survival rates amongst people suffering cardiac arrest. Equipping the rest of the fleet will mean any additional services introduced in the future will also carry the lifesaving equipment.
The initiative is part of the wider St John and the City Public Access Defibrillator (PAD) project that’s continuing to roll out life-saving devices at key locations across Edinburgh and surrounding areas.
The £1,200 cost of each defibrillator has been met through generous support from local businesses and voluntary organisations, as well as the fundraising efforts of individuals whose lives have been saved thanks to easy access to a defibrillator.
Known as ‘donors’, they will be joining members of the St John Scotland’s Edinburgh Committee in celebrations to mark the completion of the project. At the event will be cardiac arrest survivors Paul Burns and Michael Pinkerton, Past Lord Provost Donald Wilson and representatives from the Viewforth Trust, St James’s Place Partnership, Edinburgh Airport, Siemens, Riada Trust, Lyon & Turnbull and the Royal Scots Club.
Lea Harrison, Edinburgh Trams Managing Director, commented:
“We’re delighted to be involved in this project, which has the potential to save many lives. The defibrillators on board our trams will not only be deployed if a customer becomes unwell, but can be used if a member of the public suffers a cardiac arrest nearby. As the tramway serves many residential areas, employment centres and key destinations for visitors, tens of thousands of people are only minutes away from the arrival of equipment that can make all the difference in an emergency.”
Lynn Cleal, Fundraising Chair at St John said:
‘We at St. John Scotland (Edinburgh Area) are delighted to have teamed up with The Edinburgh Trams giving a Life Line from East to West across the city. Our partnership has made Edinburgh the country’s front runner in providing and promoting public access defibrillators on public transport. Future plans are to keep this initiative moving throughout the city, rolling out more and more public access defibrillators, training people in CPR and also in the use of this potential aid to help save lives’. "
The life saving equipment is located in the centre section of all trams. For more information on how to use the equipment, watch this video by St John.