USE of an app to locate defibrillators across Clare “could help to save lives,” a Shannon councillor has highlighted.
Access to defibrillators was proving to be difficult in parts of the county, elected representatives cautioned while backing the call from Cllr Donna McGettigan (SF) for Clare County Council to “register any defibrillators in council facilities or other public AEDs that they would have an involvement with, with the PulsePoint AED defibrillator location App for Ireland and encourage all community groups, businesses, schools and others who may have them to register them”.
Recognition through a Garda community safety award justifies the potential of the app, Cllr McGettigan maintained, “this App that is so simple to use that it could help to save lives”.
All publicly accessible defibrillators (AEDs) need to be registered with the National Ambulance Service, Chief Fire Officer Adrian Kelly outlined. He said the Fire Service, Civil Defence together with the Rural and Community Development directorate of the Council would research initiatives in place for the local authority sector on the back of the motion.
“It is done at the touch of a button, the more cases they are registered in, they will be obliged to use it. It is easy to use and it will save lives,” McGettigan predicted.
Having a conversation on defibrillators was very positive, Cllr Mary Howard (FG) felt. “I would like for us to engage with residents’ associations, we need to have them near estates or where people live. Usually cardiac arrests happen in the home, we tend to think that they will be dramatic heart attacks in the centre of the town, that rarely happens”. Instances of heart attacks are increasing, Cllr John Crowe (FG) commented with the survival rate lower when they occur at home.
Looking for a defibrillator “is one of the first things” surveyed by Cllr Ann Norton (IND) when entering a town or village, she admitted. “You never know when you might need it. It is happening at all ages”. She acknowledged the “huge effort” by community groups and sporting organisations to have them available. “It is young and old that can be affected and could be in need of a defibrillator. It could save a life someday”.
Twenty four access of defibrillators is essential, Cllr Joe Killeen (FF) flagged. “The problem with some of the defibrillators is that they are locked, at a certain time of night the gate of the sporting organisation is closed, if it’s needed at night you either have to climb a ten foot gate or find the keyholder”.
Some remote beaches in Clare do not have a defibrillator so should have an Eircode pointing to the nearest device, Cllr Cillian Murphy (FF) suggested. “If we can use Gardaí 999 for emergencies in communities, we need to incorporate this, the local Garda station might be a near point of response,” Cllr Gerry Flynn (IND) observed.
