Gestingthorpe currently has two available defibrillators, and these are located:

1. In the telephone kiosk on Church Green in front of the Church & Village Hall, what3words ///frail.underline.saga
2. The Pheasant pub at Audley End, w3w ///actor.scrapping.steam.

Defibrillators (also known as AEDs) are medical devices that help and support a rescue for a patient in Cardiac Arrest. They achieve this by applying an electric current across the heart to stop it, allowing it to reconfigure automatically. Defibrillators are not “Heart Re-starters”

Dial 999 first to request an ambulance, The Emergency Services will tell you if a defibrillator is required. 

Access to the defibrillator is controlled by an access code, which will be given to you by the Emergency Services (via the 999 call).  

When using the defibrillator, you will be guided by a sequence of voice commands and screen messages. You do not need a medical background or training to use the defibrillator.

If you need help collecting the defibrillator or with the emergency itself, you can call the VETS phone number 01787 852850.  This will dial volunteers in the village who can come to your assistance. 

The Church St defibrillator is managed under an arrangement with Community Heartbeat Trust.  The annual running cost of the defibrillator, the emergency telephone line and the VETS line is funded by the Parish Council and by donations.   The Audley End defibrillator is owned and maintained by the Pheasant Pub.  Both defibrillators are checked for readiness on a weekly basis by a team of volunteers. 

If you would like to be part of the team that checks one of the defibrillators or become a responder on the VETS line, please click here

VILLAGE EMERGENCY TELEPHONE SYSTEM (VETS)

The Village Emergency Telephone System (VETS) is a community-based system designed to quickly connect individuals needing assistance in emergencies with nearby volunteers who can provide aid, particularly in situations where the lone rescuer needs help acquiring a defibrillator or other support.  

It enables up 10-15 “good neighbours” to assist pending the arrival of the emergency services. A local number is used as a single point of contact using “Hunting-Group” technology to ring all volunteers’ phone numbers simultaneously.  While often used for cardiac arrests and defibrillator needs, VETS can be employed for any situation where local help is required

The VETS telephone number in Gestingthorpe is 01787 852850.    

If you would like to become a VETS responder or would like to find out more about the system, please click here