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Reading commuters help to save lives
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People using Reading train station are being given the chance to save the life of a heart attack victim.
Train operator First Great Western and the Royal Berkshire Ambulance NHS Trust are allowing customers, under close supervision, to use hi-tech Automatic External Defibrillators (AEDs) on medical dummies.
Throughout the station there are five defibrillators permanently placed to be used by specially trained staff.
Station Manager Sonia Crosby said: "The exercise is designed to simulate a real heart attack on the station as closely as possible, so that we can test our reaction.
"But it's also a great opportunity for customers and visitors to the station to come and have a go on the devices in controlled conditions."
The devices are designed to be extremely simple to use by automatically recognising if a heart has stopped and telling the user to deliver a controlled shock only if all is safe.
If a shock is not required then the AED does not allow one to be delivered, so staff have the confidence that they cannot do any harm.
Richard Davies, community defibrillation officer for the Royal Berkshire Ambulance NHS Trust said: "Thankfully, most people's only experience of defibrillators will be though TV hospital dramas.
"They may not know that there are now almost 700 defibrillators in 110 public places where members of the public congregate. As well as providing a rapid ambulance response across Berkshire we want to ensure that people know what to do in the first few minutes after an emergency occurs."
© Adfero 2005
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