The St John and the City public access defibrillator project is continuing to roll out life-saving devices across Edinburgh and will now see its defibrillators placed on every tram in the city.
The aim of the project is to place life saving devices at strategic sites - known as Hosts - across Edinburgh, taking into account the volume of people in the immediate vicinity. The project has seen St John Scotland’s Edinburgh committee team up with various businesses – or donors – around the city to place life-saving defibrillators in key locations, including Edinburgh’s tram network.
Businesses – or donors – who have provided the necessary funding for the defibrillators on Edinburgh’s trams include Royal Bank of Scotland, Virgin Money, Montague Evans, Charlie Miller, GLM and Newtyne Consultancy and Training. Donations from the public and money raised through St John Scotland’s Edinburgh fundraising events also contribute towards the defibrillators.
Public access defibrillators are expensive, with a defibrillator and protective box costing around £1,500, but the easy-to-use units can prove vital in the event of someone suffering a cardiac arrest.
The new defibrillators on each of Edinburgh’s trams will not only be deployed if a tram passenger takes unwell, but can be used if a member of the public suffers a cardiac arrest in the vicinity of a tram.
Edinburgh Trams, commented:
“We are wholeheartedly behind this initiative by St John Scotland, which has the potential to save many lives. We're delighted to be playing such a central part in their plans to roll out defibrillators across the city.
“It’s not just tram customers who will benefit. As the system serves so many key locations and communities, having defibrillators installed on our trams is an innovative way of ensuring that Edinburgh residents and visitors are close to this life-saving equipment should they be taken ill.”
The framework for the project was developed following a pilot scheme undertaken in early 2015, which saw St John Scotland successfully partner with Network Rail to provide necessary support for hosting four defibrillators at Waverley Station.
One year on, these defibrillators have been deployed four times, and used to tackle two heart attacks, demonstrating the benefits of having immediate access to lifesaving and easy to use equipment in public places, such as Waverley Station.