Police given defibrillator training
Transport officers on hand to help passengers over Christmas.
Officers from the Greater Manchester Police’s Travelsafe Unit have received training on how to use defibrillators and help resuscitate passengers from the North West Ambulance Service, ahead of the busy Christmas period.
There are four defibrillators that officers will carry with them while patrolling the bus and tram network while a fifth will be stored in a vehicle used by the unit.
Officers will be carrying the equipment for the first time tomorrow as part of Operation Sleigh – a dedicated travel operation aimed at ensuring commuters get home safely on “Mad Friday”.
Led by Transport for Greater Manchester and Greater Manchester Police (GMP), the Travelsafe Unit provide regular patrols on the region’s bus and tram networks.
TfGM’s Metrolink Director, Peter Cushing, said: “This is an excellent initiative and a great example of partnership working.
“Passenger safety is our primary concern and once again we are showing that we are putting their wellbeing at the heart of our operations. Undoubtedly, having this equipment on every deployment can potentially save lives.”
David McNally, Community Resuscitation Manager for NWAS, said: “We are delighted to be working once again with TfGM and the officers from the Travelsafe Unit on this initiative, as it will ultimately equip the officers to potentially save lives. It builds upon previous work with TfGM where all major bus stations have had AEDs provided and made accessible.
“In the event of a person suffering a cardiac arrest, quick actions must be taken in order to ensure the patient has the best possible chance of survival, with officers having the equipment available it builds upon the Chain of Survival principles.