Airdrie & Coatbridge Advertiser
Round the clock hope
Defibrillator access 24hrs a day
Passengers will be able to access a potentially life-saving defibrillator at Airdrie train station at any hour of the day.
The ScotRail Alliance is installing 34 machines at railway stations across the country.
Once the rollout is complete, all defibrillators will be available at all times, even when the station is closed.
In Airdrie, there is currently a defibrillator in place which is available for use during the station’s opening hours.
David Lister, ScotRail Alliance sustainability and safety assurance director, said: “I am delighted that we are rolling out these 34 absolutely vital defibrillators to some of the busiest stations on our network, and that the local communities we serve will be able to benefit from them as well.
“In an emergency, a defibrillator can make the difference between life and death.
“This is why we’ve made sure that they will all be located where anyone can reach them at any time.”
The Scottish Ambulance Service has been provided with full details of the defibrillators so that anyone nearby can be directed to them in the event of an emergency.
Pauline Howie, chief executive of the Scottish Ambulance Service, said: “A cardiac arrest can strike anywhere, so ensuring life-saving equipment is available at railway stations across Scotland could save many more lives.
“We know that the sooner a patient receives treatment, the better their chances are of surviving a cardiac arrest, so having these defibrillators close to hand will potentially have a huge impact.”
Defibrillators can be used by anyone without any specialist training, and are vital to treating cardiac arrest – which is fatal within minutes.
In order to have the best chances of survival, the victim needs CPR, and often a defibrillator used, within two to three minutes of their heart stopping.
So far, 19 devices have been delivered to stations and work is under way to install the storage cabinets.
A further six stations will receive their defibrillator soon. ScotRail’s safety team is currently assessing possible locations that could house one of the remaining defibrillators.
Jane- Claire Judson, chief executive of Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland, said: “Thanks to the ScotRail Alliance, access to these defibrillators will mean that more people will be given the chance to live a full life.
“At Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland, we want to make sure that everyone in Scotland affected by a life-changing event, such as a cardiac arrest, gets the support they need.”
Joe Fitzpatrick, minister for public health, sport and wellbeing, added: “This is a welcome investment in 34 life-saving defibrillators being installed at railway stations across Scotland.
“It is aslo an excellent example of the way the Service Quality Incentive Regime ( SQUIRE) Investment Fund can be used to benefit rail passengers and the wider community.
“This equipment wi l l undoubtedly save lives and will tie in very nicely with the recently announced initiative between the British Heart Foundation, NHS Scotland and NHS England to create a database of defibrillators across the UK.”