Haringey police officers receive 26 defibrillators as part of Met’s safety initiative
Defibrillator kits have been rolled out in Haringey (Picture: Met Police) - Credit: Archant
Police officers in Haringey have received 26 defibrillator units as part of the Met’s safety initiative with the London Ambulance Service (LAS).
Haringey is the latest borough to be provided with Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) who along with Brent and Kingston-Upon-Thames received the kit on Monday.
The initiative began in November 2015 when officers in four boroughs - Enfield, Croydon, Havering and Ealing - were provided with defibrillators to enable them to respond alongside ambulance crews to life-threatening emergencies in London.
Now the scheme involves 13 boroughs.
The average cardiac survival rate is nine per cent in London compared to Heathrow is 75 pc thanks to the availability of AEDs and staff who can use them effectively.
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The police and ambulance crews believe that by working together, the cardiac survival rate will increase and more lives will be saved.
Chris Hartley-Sharpe, head of first responders at LAS, said: “Every second counts when someone is in cardiac arrest. The only way to restart a heart is with a defibrillator, so the sooner one arrives with someone trained to use it, the better the outcome for the patient.
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“While we will always send an ambulance response as a priority, by working together with the Met we can ensure patients in cardiac arrest receive vital treatment as quickly as possible.”
As part of the initiative, police officers equipped with defibrillators, who are available to respond, will be alerted to a potential cardiac arrest at the same time as ambulance crews, which means that if they reach the patient first, or are already on scene, they can begin providing life-saving treatment until a skilled clinician arrives.
Based on results from the pilot, it is estimated the scheme could save dozens of lives each year.
Sue Warner, strategic health and safety adviser for the Met, said: “We are delighted to be working with the London Ambulance Service to save lives across London.
“Equipping our response team vehicles and station offices with this essential life saving equipment will enable our officers to respond as effectively to these critical life or death emergency calls.”
