AEDs (Automated External Defibrillators) will soon be available outside all Government schools in Gibraltar. 

A statement from the Government follows below:

Appropriate training is being delivered and the units are on order. The Department of Education in close liaison with St John Ambulance and theCardiac Association will be collaborating to make these life saving devices available to staff, pupils, visitors and the community more widely. 

Schools are considered areas of high population density with facilities often used by the public outside school hours. The positioning of AEDs within the school footprint is expected to complementthe current distribution plan and limittime between incident and access to potentially life-saving equipment. Reliable research demonstrates that accessing AEDs within 3-5 minutes of a cardiac arrest increases the chance of survival by over 40%. 

The Cardiac Association has kindly agreed to fund this initiative with essential train-the-trainer sessions provided by St John Ambulance. School staff will receive bespoke training which will in turn be cascaded to pupils. This will ensure children and young adults are familiarwithAED location and use,together with early recognition of symptoms and procedures to be followed to callfor help. Familiarisation with the units will help reduce anxieties related to their use in a medical emergency. 

All parties are keen that a messaging strategy is developed that does not cease at schools, but is expanded to the local community more generally in a concise and sustained manner. The Department of Education, St John Ambulance and the Cardiac Association are looking forward to jointly rolling out this initiative and supporting pupils and staff in the process. 

Minister for Education and Public Health, the Hon John Cortes, said: “I am really grateful to the Cardiac Association and St John Ambulance for working with the Department of Education to achieve this. Awareness ofthe problems associated with heart health,together with the availability of these devices can make a real difference and save lives”.