Life-saving defibrillator installed in Tallaght estate
By Aideen O'Flaherty
THE first 24-hour public access defibrillator in Tallaght has been officially launched in Kilnamanagh, with hopes that the defibrillator will save lives.
The Community First Responder Group in Kilnamanagh has been fundraising for the defibrillator for the past two years. Even though a number of commercial premises have a defibrillator on-site during operational hours, most cardiac arrests happen in the home.
When a cardiac arrest occurs outside of a hospital there is only a six per cent survival rate, but administering CPR and using a defibrillator can have a significant impact on survival rates.
Dr Niall Conroy, who set up the First Responder Group, told The Echo: “This is Tallaght’s first 24-hour public access defibrillator.
“We’ve been busy fundraising with an incredible team over the last two years and have had amazing support from Run for Rita, the GAA and soccer clubs, St Kevin’s National School, Kilnamanagh Community Centre and Kilnamanagh Resource Centre.
“The defibrillator is hanging up on the gates to the community centre in the Elmcastle area of Kilnamanagh.
“The defibrillator itself is in a small green cabinet and can simply be removed by anyone at any time, day or night. There is no lock or access code on it.”
Dr Conroy added that if you witness someone who has stopped breathing, you should call an ambulance first, and get someone else to get the defibrillator.
The defibrillator gives voice prompts which will tell you how to use it, so anyone can use the defibrillator effectively.
Dr Conroy added that he has some concerns about theft and vandalism: “These defibrillators are expensive, but they are of no use to anyone who might steal them, as they have no real re-sale value because nobody would buy a defibrillator without a service history.
“But we do know that defibrillators around the country have been stolen or vandalised because they are so easy to access, so we’re appealing to parents to make sure their children know how important it is that this equipment isn’t tampered with.
“These defibrillators can literally be the difference between life and death and any of us could require it at any time.”
The Kilnamanagh man is also looking for sponsorship or for people to run fundraising events to buy more of these defibrillators and to buy CCTV units for them, and volunteers who would be interested in setting up similar First Responder Groups in Tallaght, and sign-writers to put information signs beside the defibrillators.
Anyone who’s interested in helping can contact Niall via email at niall.conroy@ucd.ie
