story by: ASHLEY GRAY

We all know the importance of defibrillators saving lives in our communities, but ​can the ambulance service see them when an emergency is called?

The only way the ambulance services can see a defibrillator is if it is registered ​with the National Defibrillator Network called ‘The Circuit’.

Thousands of families in the UK are left devastated by cardiac arrests every year. ​Early use of a defibrillator with CPR can more than double a person’s chance of ​survival. But if the ambulance service does not know where they are, they can’t ​direct people to them in an emergency. That’s where ‘The Circuit’ comes in.

‘The Circuit’ helps emergency call-handlers to direct bystanders to their nearest ​defibrillator when 999 is called. It has been developed by the British Heart ​Foundation in partnership with the Association of Ambulance Chief Executives, ​Resuscitation Council UK, St John Ambulance and NHS England.

At a time when every second counts, it could make the difference between life ​and death.

There are over 92,000 defibrillators registered on ‘The Circuit’. Yet despite this, ​it's estimated that tens of thousands are not and are unknown to the ambulance ​service.

Over the past decade, Rotarians and Rotary clubs have provided much-needed ​defibrillators in their communities. Our army of 34,000 Rotarians are best placed ​to identify those defibrillators which are not registered on ‘The Circuit’ and take ​the necessary steps to get them registered, making them visible to the ​emergency services.

What can Rotarians do to help?

1. Discuss this at your club meetings and agree to take action.
   
2. If you or your club has provided or helped fund a defibrillator, make sure it is ​registered on ‘The Circuit’.
   
3. If the venue where your club meets has a defibrillator, make sure it is ​registered.
   
4. If a venue where you regularly visit – a gym, golf club, social club, theatre, ​community centre has a defibrillator, make sure it is registered.
   
5. Does your local school have a defibrillator? If so, make sure it is registered. ​Over 12,000 schools who have defibrillators have yet to register them.
   
6. When you are out check if the defibrillator is registered.
   

Defibrillators need to be registered. One of the most common reasons for not ​registering is people think only those defibrillators which are available 24/7 need ​to be registered. If a defibrillator is not available 24/7, then it still needs to be ​registered. The ambulance service will then know when it is available and direct ​people when necessary.

To check whether a defibrillator is registered, visit DefibFinder.uk and enter the ​post code or location. It is that simple.

And if you are responsible for a defibrillator, you can register at no cost at: The ​Circuit If you are not the guardian, make some enquiries in the building where ​the defibrillator is located, explain the issue with their defibrillator and ask for it ​to be registered.

Once registered, the guardian will receive regular email reminders to check the ​defibrillator status, along with other updates such as checking batteries and ​replacing pads.

It’s everyone’s responsibility to increase cardiac arrest survival rates. Rotarians ​can do their bit by searching for unregistered defibrillators and getting them ​registered.

In addition, empower yourself with the confidence to use a defibrillator by ​attending training courses or setting up a course in your clubs through St John ​Ambulance.

CASE STUDY: WHITCHURCH ROTARY

Whitchurch Rotary Club serves the town of Whitchurch and the surrounding rural ​community in north-west Shropshire.

In 2019, Rotarians were concerned there was not full access to all the ​defibrillators in the town. Using a list from the ambulance service, they carried ​out a survey in the town and surrounding villages of where defibrillators were ​listed.

They soon discovered that not all defibrillators were listed so they organised a ​more in-depth survey to locate all the defibrillators in their area. This enabled the ​club to create a directory of all defibrillators which included their location and ​times when they could be accessed.

All of the defibrillators are now registered on ‘The Circuit’ and this directory is ​included on the club website.

They also felt that a training programme was needed to increase the number of ​residents with CPR skills capable of using a defibrillator. The British Heart ​Foundation provided a programme of 12 courses which trained Rotarians and ​was rolled out to staff at local shops and businesses, totalling 124 people.

Tony Birch from Whitchurch Rotary Club said: “The project was extremely ​worthwhile. It was completed at minimal cost and the engagement of the public ​and Rotarians was very high.

“It was of huge benefit to the local community and raised the profile of our club ​enormously. This high-impact project took some organising but, unlike many ​projects, the greatest input from club members was their time.

“I would certainly recommend every Rotary club in Great Britain & Ireland looks ​at doing something similar in their area. It can only help to save lives.”

FACT FILE:

• Every minute without CPR and defibrillation after an out-of-hospital cardiac ​arrest reduces the chance of survival by up to 10%. 
  

• 80% of out-of-hospital cardiac arrests occur in the home. 
  

• 43.1% of the most deprived areas in the UK do not have a registered ​defibrillator.
  

• Each year, there are over 30,000 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests in the UK.
  

• Less than 1 in 10 people survive an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest in the UK.
  

• If your defibrillator isn’t registered on ‘The Circuit’ the ambulance service can’t ​see it when 999 is called in response to a cardiac arrest – the opportunity to ​save a life could be missed.
  

• It takes less than 5 minutes to register a defibrillator.
  

• Registering is quick and FREE to do and gives your defibrillator a better ​chance at saving lives.