A new defibrillator has been installed at Edinburgh Bus Station today and offered the opportunity for the council’s transport leaders to learn how to use the life saving equipment.
St Andrew’s First Aid gave them all a first aid master class as the new defibrillator was unveiled.
A defibrillator can save the lives of people who have had cardiac arrests, if someone is on hand who knows how to use it.
Public access defibrillators (AEDs) allow trained individuals to treat casualties in areas where ambulance access is difficult or while awaiting paramedics, increasing the likelihood that someone who takes ill might survive.
Staff at Edinburgh Bus Station, which welcomes between five and seven million customers a year, will be given training to use the equipment where necessary.
Transport Convener, Councillor Lesley Hinds, said: “Safety is of utmost importance to us as a Council, so it makes absolute sense to install this life saving equipment in such a busy area of the city.
“The bus station welcomes a real variety of people through its doors each day and if the new AED were to save just one of these lives, it would be worth every penny.”
Alongside the unveiling, St Andrew’s First Aid offered councillors and members of the public first aid tips and advice, as well as demonstrating the use of the AED.
Jim Dorman, Operations Director from St Andrew’s First Aid said: “We are absolutely delighted that City of Edinburgh Council has arranged to have a defibrillator placed within the city’s bus station. It is the perfect place to site an AED bearing in mind the central location of the station and the amount of people passing through the station each day.
“Defibrillators are proven to save lives and having one readily available will enhance the chances of survival for someone should they have a cardiac arrest in or near the station.”
The Council recently agreed to install defibrillators in all of the city’s high schools, partly paid for with fundraising by parents and the local community.
Find out more about St Andrew’s First Aid and the courses on offer on their website.
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