A further two emergency heart starting devices have been added to the network of defibrillators in St Helier. The public access defibrillators are outside JT’s headquarters at the Forum in Grenville Street and at the former JT shop in Minden Place.
Working with the Jersey Heart Support Group, the two Automatic External Defibrillators (AEDs) join a network of more than 80 distinctive yellow and green cabinets in prominent places around the island, that includes parish halls, Jersey Zoo, the Liberation Station and opposite the public entrance to the States building.
Derren Le Breton Glover, Property and Health and Safety Manager, from JT, said: “Having a large network of Public Access Defibrillators provides reassurance that life-saving emergency equipment is readily available if needed. Knowing the location of a defibrillator can be the difference between life and death and with more of them in prominent known locations, members of the public can get to them or be informed by the emergency services where the nearest portable machine can be found. We are delighted to help expand and improve the network so that these vital devices can be accessed quickly and easily.”
The Jersey Heart Support Group started installing AEDs in public areas a decade ago and has relied on donations and sponsorship to expand the network to over 80 today. They join those already available in workplaces that are also known to the emergency services, but more of those could be made accessible to the public.
Mandi Corley Harris, Chair of the Jersey Heart Support Group, added: “It is vitally important that the emergency services know where every defibrillator is but not all will be accessible and that’s why we are so pleased when companies like JT sponsor two that anyone can use in an emergency. Training is also giving to members of staff so that they can use them quickly and confidently. A few years ago, we started a campaign to ‘Liberate Defibrillators’ so that more AEDs could be made available on the outside of buildings in external cabinets. We rely on support from companies and individuals who are community minded and want to help us save lives.”