Defibrillator 'Guardians' Celebrated

Survivors of cardiac arrest have praised the islanders who volunteer to maintain Guernsey's life-saving defibrillators.

In the last three years, the lives at least 15 Guernsey residents have been saved by the heart-starting machines.

Some of those survivors gathered with the Cardiac Action Group at Les Cotils last night (7 February).

Patron Rick Denton says they owe their lives to the equipment 'Guardians':

"We called them guardians because they guard our public access defibrillators (PAD).

They spend their own time volunteering to clean them and maintain them and make sure they work, so that if there’s the tragedy of a cardiac arrest, they have made sure that there is the right equipment to save lives in every facility in Guernsey."

There are 150 PADs across the island, and more than 200 people who give up their time to look after them.

John Greenfield stood to talk during the evening. He collapsed near Footes Lane last year after suffering a cardiac arrest:

"There are many things and people that helped me to survive.

I was lucky enough to have my cardiac arrest on a cricket field and on the wall of the nearby clubhouse was a defibrillator and one of my teammates knew how to use it.

Without those things, I wouldn't be here today."

Patron Rick Denton and cardiac arrest survivor John Greenfield

John hopes more people will join the Cardiac Action Group's training programme, because anyone can be affected:

"I had no warnings as to what was going to happen to me. I thought I was bombproof.

And now I realise that it can happen at any time, so I am hoping that people will learn what they can do to make sure that anyone else that collapses gets the best possible care."

Islanders can become defibrillator 'Guardians' and get free resuscitation training by contacting the Cardiac Action Group.

 Public Access Defibrillator