Mobile defibrillators fitted to all MECS response cars, thanks to charity donation

Response teams from the Mobile Emergency Care Service will now have access to life saving medical devices throughout its fleet of vehicles.

The service provides round the clock monitoring and a response service to vulnerable people in Falkirk, using personal and home alarms which connect to a control centre when they fall or are in difficulty so help can be sent.

Mobile defibrillators, which are used to deliver an electric shock to those experiencing cardiac emergencies, are being rolled out following a donation from Friends of Forth Valley First Responders.

The response teams attend more than 1,000 call outs each month in the local area, and are first aid trained to provide immediate assistance ahead of further medical help arriving if needed.

The service is delivered by Falkirk Council and Falkirk Health and Social Care Partnership, available to people with dementia, sensory impairments, physical disabilities, frailty, or those at risk of falls and accidents at home.

Caroline Doherty, Head of Community Services, Falkirk Health and Social Care Partnership said: “Our Mobile Emergency Care teams are dispatched every day to homes across Falkirk following an alert from one of our telecare alarm systems. While this is often due to a fall or accident at home, we may not know the cause of the call until we arrive.

“This generous donation of 6 defibrillators will help ensure live saving help is immediately on hand if teams arrive to a cardiac arrest.”

Martin Stuart, Trustee, Friends of Forth Valley First Responders, added: “By equipping every Mobile Emergency Care Service vehicle with a defibrillator, response teams will now be better equipped to provide immediate assistance. Every second counts when responding to a potential cardiac arrest, and every minute without CPR and defibrillation reduces the chance of survival by up to 10%.

“We have already supported the roll out of 63 public access defibrillators throughout the Falkirk area, in addition to many others available to the Scottish Ambulance Service. These mobile kits provided to response teams will speed up access to help in an emergency.”

While the devices provide step-by-step instructions to the user, allowing them to be operated by anyone, Friends of Forth Valley will also provide training to the MECS team to raise awareness, refresh skills, and provide confidence in using the machines.