Around 50 people participated in a half-day training course on how to use a defibrillator held at the Day Care Centre in Dunbeath and the Portland Hall in Berriedale. Led by a paramedic from the Scottish Ambulance Service, participants had hands-on practice performing CPR and using the automated external defibrillator (AED) on dummies.  

Life saving community defibrillators are available in both Dunbeath and Berriedale. One device is installed outside the medical centre in Dunbeath, and another can be found on the porch at the Welbeck estate office in Berriedale.

The Community Council had previously applied for the community defibrillator scheme from the Scottish Ambulance Service and were granted a device for Berriedale. The Council went on to raise funds to have a second defibrillator installed in Dunbeath, receiving a donation from the British Heart Foundation.

A defibrillator is a life-saving device that in cases of sudden cardiac arrest, gives the heart an electric shock to try and restore its normal rhythm. Current research shows that applying a controlled shock within five minutes of collapse, provides the best possible chance of survival. For every minute that defibrillation is delayed, survival decreases, and if delayed by more than ten minutes, the chance of survival in adults is less than five percent.

The availability of community defibrillators in remote and rural areas is therefore crucial and can save lives. In April, the Riverbank Practice Patient Participation Group launched a campaign to compile a list of all the AEDs in the county, what they are used for, and where they are located. 

For further information about the campaign go to Caithness.org and look for RPPPG Posts or check the Riverbank Practice website.