The REaL FRIEnDS defibrillators project
Is this an emergency? In the event of a suspected cardiac arrest call 999 and start cardio-pulmonary resuscitation (CPR). The call handler can support you and also guide someone to the nearest defibrillator.
The Rural East Lothian First Responder Information Education and Defibrillators (REaL FRIEnDS) project aim is to improve the likelihood of survival after an out of hospital cardiac arrest.
In the first year of Real Friends (2025/26:
- More than 350 received CPR awareness training,
- an additional CFR was appointed;
- a grant was obtained to fund three CFR bags with defibrillators,
- fitted 10 further 24/7 unlocked Public Access Defibrillators in NBCA.
- Ten defibrillator guardians were recruited and
- the Together in Health defibrillator team of 8 people have mapped the current defibrillators across NBCA, to find areas of poor coverage.
Together in Health have been asked to work with Edinburgh University Resuscitation Research Group, Save a Life for Scotland and East Lothian Council to develop East Lothian as a Cardiac Arrest Rescue (CARe) Zone increasing the number of GoodSAM App holders who will be alerted to suspected cardiac arrest within 500 metres, but at some point must find the nearest defibrillator; identify new Community Cardiac Responders, who will carry their own defibrillators; do training in schools, bystander CPR and increase defibrillator coverage.