Restart the Heart


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Promoting Heart Safe Communities

Aims:

To raise awareness of cardiac arrest amongst the general public
To increase awareness of AEDs as emergency life saving equipment
To promote the placement of AEDs in public places

Restart the Heart

Arrhythmia Alliance is running a national campaign to place AEDs in every local community. We promote the placement of AEDs in public places with 24hr access so that so that emergency life saving equipment is available to everyone whenever it is needed.

Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA) can strike anyone, anytime, anywhere…in fact it is estimated that 12% of incidents occur in public places. An Automated External Defibrillator (AED) is the only way to restart the heart. Can your community risk not having one?

Promoting Heart Safe Communities

Arrhythmia Alliance proposes that AEDs are located outdoors for 24-hour public access. Not only will such a scheme ensure protection for a community in an emergency situation, but will help to increase awareness of SCA. The project is unique in that the AEDs are kept in secure, weatherproof cabinets on the exterior walls of buildings, such as a post office or village hall.

The Chew Valley launched the first Restart the Heart initiative; successfully becoming a Heart Safe community with 15 AEDs located outdoors around the locality. With the support of Arrhythmia Alliance, there are now many more communities following the example of the Chew Valley Model. If you would like more information about starting a Restart the Heart initiative in your community please contact campaigns@stars.org.uk

Key Facts:

Sudden Cardiac Arrest claims the lives of approximately 100,000 people every year in the UK
Cardiac Arrest can strike anyone, at any time, anywhere, without warning
Cardiac Arrest is an abrupt loss of pulse and consciousness most often caused by the failure of the heart to pump oxygenated blood as it enters an extremely rapid or chaotic rhythm.
Unlike a heart attack, a cardiac arrest is caused by an electrical problem with the heart
Administration of CPR followed by rapid defibrillation through the administration of an electric shock is the only way to re-establish a normal heart rhythm.

Is your Community Heart Safe

As part of the Restart the Heart Campaign, A-A is undertaking a fact-finding exercise to discover which communities have public access to AEDs and whether they are available 24 hrs a day? For example, are you aware of an AED located in your nearest train station or town hall? If so, please complete our survey so that we are able to map community AEDs and subsequently promote their placement outdoors with 24-hr public access. Click here to download the Survey.

Balloon Launch Signals Arrival of Life Saving Defibrillator for Stratford upon Avon Business

The launch of dozens of balloons at Prontaprint in Stratford upon Avon during Arrhythmia Awareness Week 2008 also signalled the arrival of life saving equipment, which will be sited at a key location in one of England’s major tourist attractions.
The presentation of the Automated External Defibrillator (AED) is a significant next step in the ‘Where’s the AED?’ campaign, following the successful placement of 15 AEDs in the Chew Valley.

The town is a major visitor attraction famed for being the birthplace of William Shakespeare, and Prontaprint will become the first local business to incorporate an AED to the outside of its premises. Once medical training has been given by West Midlands Ambulance Service - to a group of selected first responders – the AED will be on hand to help save a life. The equipment was provided and presented by Andrew Smith, National Sales Manager at Laerdal (centre) to Alex Graham, Prontaprint Manager, Stratford, with Arrhythmia Alliance Chief Executive Trudie Lobban in attendance.


	Patient Information


	Chew Valley Defibrillator Project
	The Arrhythmia Alliance is delighted to announce that The Chew Valley Defibrillator Project was officially launched on 21st November. Over 70 people attended the launch, including Mike Yates from The Department of Health and Mick Colqhoun from The Resuscitation Council who announced their full support for this initiative. Clive Setter of Setter & Lee Estate Agents has donated 15 automated external defibrillators (AEDs) to rural village locations around the valley. Working in partnership with Arrhythmia Alliance and the Great Western Ambulance Service, this public access placement is the first of its kind in the country.

The project will act as a model for other locations where public access to life saving defibrillators is essential. The initiative forms part of the forthcoming ‘Where’s the AED?’ campaign which aims to raise awareness of cardiac arrest and promote placement of AEDs. Email Laura for further information.

Have you ever suffered a cardiac arrest?

Arrhythmia Alliance invites you to share your story to help raise awareness of sudden cardiac arrest and the importance of automated external defibrillators (AEDs) as life-saving equipment.

To find out more, please click here

Media Coverage

Heart-saving equipment sets the pace for rural villages

Midlothian Today, – Wed, 21 Nov 2007 19:16
Words matched: Arrhythmia Alliance
A scheme to install life-saving medical equipment in some of north Somerset's rural villages has been.

Villagers get lifesaving machines
BBC, – Wed, 14 Nov 2007 08:14
Words matched: Arrhythmia Alliance, Trudy Lobban
Dickon HooperBBC NewsA beautiful woman saved James Bond's life with one outside a casino - and now portable defibrillators are on offer to the general public across Somerset.

£1m for at-risk heart patients in Wales
www.dailypost.co.uk, – Sat, 10 Nov 2007 06:07
Words matched: Arrhythmia Alliance, Trudie Lobban
FIRST Minister Rhodri Morgan will today announce an extra £1m-a-year to help patients at high risk of a cardiac arrest. Mr Morgan, 68, who underwent heart surgery for blocked arteries in the summer, said the new cash would aid sufferers of arrhythmias – irregular heartbeat – which causes 3,000 sudden deaths.

WALES: pounds 1m for at-risk heart patients
TMCnet, – Fri, 09 Nov 2007 23:20
Words matched: Arrhythmia Alliance, Trudie Lobban
(Daily Post (Liverpool) Via Thomson Dialog NewsEdge) FIRST Minister Rhodri Morgan will today announce an extra pounds 1m-a-year to help patients at high risk of a cardiac arrest.