Public Access Defibrillators

Defibrillators need to be checked on a monthly basis to make sure they are in working order and ready to be used in an emergency. All defibrillators provided through St John Scotland must be registered with the Circuit, the national defibrillator network used by the Scottish Ambulance Service to locate the nearest available defibrillator. Once registered on the Circuit, you will be sent a reminder every month to check the equipment. Defibrillator batteries need to be replaced around every five years, and chest pads replaced whenever they are used, or when they reach their use-by date.

A defibrillator which is being installed outside so it can be accessed 24/7 needs to be stored in a special cabinet. The cabinet has a heating element to protect the defib from cold temperatures, so it requires an electricity supply and an electrician to fit it. You may find a willing local electrician who can support the community by installing the cabinet for free. The ongoing electricity costs are minimal.

Modern Public Access Defibrillators are designed so that any member of the public can use them in an emergency, with no training required. When switched on, they will read aloud instructions to the person using them. We do, however, find that it helps for people in the community to be able to see a demonstration of how a defibrillator works. St John Scotland volunteers offer free CPR and defibrillator training as part of our Community Defibrillator Scheme.

No – a defibrillator will only provide an electric shock if the person it is being used on is in cardiac arrest. It won’t give a shock to a healthy person.

No – a heart attack and cardiac arrest are different. With a heart attack, the person is most likely to be conscious, and probably in pain. In cardiac arrest, the person will be unconscious and not breathing normally. Defibrillators will only help someone who is having a cardiac arrest.

The model of defibrillator may vary, as we continually review suppliers and models to ensure value for money. The current model we provide is the iPad SP1, manufactured by C U Medical.

A defibrillator will be most useful where it can be most easily accessed, 24/7 in an emergency. So we encourage those interested in providing defibrillators to make them available outside buildings wherever possible. We can offer advice about the best place to site a defibrillator in your community – please get in touch: info@stjohnscotland.org.uk

Yes, we can provide support and advice to help you reach your fundraising target, as well as marketing materials to raise awareness of your defibrillator appeal.