Defibrillator Initiative

A community defibrillator has been installed in the village for use by the public on victims of sudden cardiac arrest (heart attacks). This device is accessible 24 hours a day and is located in the former red telephone box behind the bus stop on High Street.

The defibrillator - an Automated External Defibrillator (AED) - is a potentially life-saving device that automatically sends an electric shock to the heart muscle to return it to its normal rhythm. It can be used by a lay person with no formal training and is safe and easy to use. Its use relies on someone witnessing a person having a cardiac arrest and being prepared to use a defibrillator.  There are clear instructions on how to attach the defibrillator pads.  It then assesses the heart rhythm and will only instruct you to deliver a shock if it’s needed. 
If you come across someone in cardiac arrest:

• first make sure you are safe
• call 999 for an ambulance
• start cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) to provide the best chance of survival of the casualty.

The 999 operator will ask you to send someone to collect Stockton’s defibrillator which is in a rotaid easy access cabinet so a code is not required as the cover twists off to give access to a portable ‘grab and go’ defibrillator.
Most people who survive will have needed a shock from a defibrillator to correct a chaotic heart rhythm. The earlier that shock is given, the better the person’s chance of survival.

YOU DO NOT NEED TO BE TRAINED TO USE THIS EQUIPMENT - THE DEVICE HAS BOTH AUDIO AND VISUAL ASSIST FEATURE THAT WILL TALK & SHOW YOU THROUGH WHAT YOU NEED TO DO.  REMEMBER TO DIAL 999 FIRST.

Why have a defibrillator? 
The device has been installed by the Parish Council amid concerns that ambulance response times for rural locations like Stockton can be lengthy. The Parish Council decided that the community needed to help itself and so it launched a fundraising drive, actively supported by local residents, and teamed up with a national charity, the Community HeartBeat Trust, which already supplies defibrillators to parish councils and local groups elsewhere in the country.

Thanks to generous donation by a local company (Wigley Group), Stockton Parish Council was able to purchase both the defibrillator and cabinet and also provided training to local residents. The Parish Council is grateful for all the help that has come from volunteers in the village, particularly Sue Coutts, who organised the grant funding, delivery of parts and the cleaning and painting of the kiosk. (Paint to spruce up the box was donated by the British Coatings Federation and BT are supplying the power to the light and unit in support of the Community Heartbeat Trust.)

The Parish Council installed and owns the unit on behalf of the village and arranged a free ‘awareness training’ sessions for residents, run by the Community HeartBeat Trust, to show local people how to use the equipment and what to do in an emergency.  27 residents attended the last training session.

The equipment has to be regularly checked and replaced as necessary and Stockton Parish Council has taken responsibility for its maintenance and upkeep. The Council however continues to welcome donations from residents and local businesses to help fund this vital service. If you would like to make a contribution please contact the Parish Clerk or any of your local Parish Councillors.