South West lowest region for defibrillator location awareness
It's according to research by St John's Ambulance
Only a third of people in the South West know where their nearest automatic external defibrillator (AED) is, according to a survey by St John's Ambulance.
The recent survey also found that only 29% of the 2000 people surveyed with first aid skills were 'very confident' in using them.
A volunteer with the charity in Salisbury says this is much lower than it needs to be.
Alex Thompson told Greatest Hits Radio that the charity believes strongly that community first aid saves lives.
"If we build up a Community that is first aid confident that inherently we all live in a safer society," Alex said, adding communities can become more resilient through knowledge of first aid.
A mandate to raise first aid confidence
The charity's survey found that younger generations have better awareness regarding first aid than older generations.
It also found that a fifth of of young people wanted to engage further with first aid and learn about treating additional injuries.
"Both young people and adults agreed that there was a moral obligation for more of the public to be trained in first aid to 73% of adults agreed and 75% of 10 to 17 year olds agreed," Alex told us, who said the research threw up something fascinating.
"Of all the people we surveyed, one in four actually said that they had saved a life.
"And therefore if only 29% actually were confident, imagine how much more successful we could be in supporting people to be there in times of need if we increase that confidence level slightly higher than it is at the moment."
A couple of minutes research could save a life
But perhaps the most worrying statistic to come from the data St John's Ambulance found, was the lack of awareness of where life-saving equipment in the South West is located.
Only 32% of people in the region know where a AED can be found, compared to more than half of people surveyed in London.
"These are the things that are really important. If you have a cardiac arrest or if your heart stops," Alex said.
And while accepted that geographically, the South West's more rural environment can provide challenges, there are maps online where we can find where our closest AED is.
"I think for just to take a couple of minutes to have a bit of research and think if I needed it in a time of emergency, where would the nearest one be?
"You know that that could make such a difference in a time of need."