Life saving app launched by Yorkshire Ambulance Service

App which maps all the 1,288 defibrillators in Yorkshire is launched

Yorkshire Ambulance Service's Save A Life app
Author: Ellie KumarPublished 17th Apr 2018
Last updated 17th Apr 2018

Do you know where your nearest defibrillator's located? There's an app for that now.

Yorkshire Ambulance Service has launched 'Save A Life' which gives users directions to their closest AED device.

The smartphone application also provides CPR guidance.

Paul Stevens, Head of Community Resilience at Yorkshire Ambulance Service, said: "There has been a staggering increase in the number of AEDs across Yorkshire; four years ago there were 100 and today there are 1,288. This app plots all the AEDs so members of the public can familiarise themselves with the location of their nearest device.

"We also hope that communities which don’t have the life-saving kit will consider purchasing one via the various funding streams which are available.

"However, the app should not be used in an emergency. In the event of someone suffering a cardiac arrest, you should still call 999 and will then be told the location of your nearest AED and the code needed to access it. We would encourage members of the public to proactively use the app to locate their nearest AED so that they can be prepared for an emergency situation.”

As well as storing the details of the 1,288 AEDs across Yorkshire, the app contains videos which demonstrate how to carry out CPR on adults, children and infants, along with a myth-buster section that dispels the most commonly held misconceptions about the risks of attempting CPR.

An AED and its secure storage cabinet cost around £1,400.

The Yorkshire Ambulance Service Charity provides part-funding grants for the kit, along with various other organisations including the British Heart Foundation.