You may have read in the PC's draft November minutes (See 'Parish Council' tab) that BT propose to sell off their phone boxes for £1. This has been raised some time ago and it was felt that the cost of insurance and maintenance would be too high. The PC decided to decline the offer.
However, I do just wonder if this would not be the ideal site for the location of a defibrillator pack? Although self-explanatory, training can be available from a first responder known to me. It is appreciated that there would be a cost involved but I am sure that there are various sources of funds available to the village. What do you think? Click on the 'Contact Us' tab to respond.
Email received from Sheilah Turley 19th December:
The Community Heartbeat Trust Charity web pages that Janet Heath has pointed out and given a link to are excellent. They provide a tremendous amount of information, give the answers to many of the questions already asked on this, the Chediston and Linstead website, and it appears a lot of support. I wish I had known about this organisation for the 21st November Parish Council Meeting when the issue of the kiosk was initially discussed. (Unable to attend December 13th Planning Meeting as in London.)
The conversion of a kiosk to house a defibrillator is an ideal marriage between the preservation of such an iconic symbol designed by the architect Gilbert Scott, and the provision life saving modern equipment. Following cardiac arrest the chances of survival decreases 23% per minute.
Yvonne Watts posts on the website's Facebook page: BT red phone box. looks like the Parish Council have declined an offer from BT to keep the phone box located just off the B1123 on the Chediston Green Road,due to the costs involved. The phone has not been used for the last year but there is some thoughts that it would make an ideal place to house a defibrillator. Funds would need to be raised, but with ever increasing response times from the ambulance service, and a lot of us older residents it would be an asset .Would like to see some costings, and how much it would add to the council tax bill if it was funded from the Parish Councils budget. What price a life?? Anyone else think it's worth considering?
(It may be that the Chediston United Charities could be approached to assist in the funding? As you will have seen, I had posted about this very matter. I think it requires proper consideration. The BT box is perfectly located for this purpose. I am seeking costings for defibrillator purchase and maintenance. We also need costings for insuring and maintaining the BT box and power.I am currently seeking advice on costs ) - David Mantell
Jill & Bill King write to the website: Reading the news on the Chediston website regarding the phone box we think it is a really good idea to keep it and have a defibrillator in the phone box where it can be housed and used. It would be situated in the busiest part of the village and beside the road so everyone would know where it was and would have easy access to it. Jill & Bill King
Stephen Burroughes writes to the website:
Dear David, In my role as County Councillor for Framlingham, I have funded the purchase of Defibrillators and, or, cabinets in a few parishes. Some locate them in the centre most part of their village (which Chediston doesn't have) or attached to their village hall, for example. A phone box is a logical place, and is usually well known and well positioned and many other parishes use them in this way. I thought the PC had applied to have the phone box listed. What happened to that? I wouldn't want to see the box removed or neglected. It seems a good idea to place a defibrillator in it, and I would be willing to support it financially. If I can't attend the next meeting, I will certainly let the pc have my thoughts.
Joanna Wareham writes to the website: Hi David, The advice about AEDs from the British Heart Foundation is that they should be kept unlocked as obtaining an unlock code takes additional time and requires a telephone signal which is not always available at the phone box site. The box would have no phone in it if adopted. I believe the offer of the box is not ownership but a lease with requirement to maintain and insure. The additional cost would be training for first aider(s) as the instructions for use specify that CPR should be attempted first, and the first aider would have to be able to recognise the difference between a stroke, for instance, and heart stoppage. The AED will only work if the heart has stopped. AEDs seem a good idea in conjunction with the right operator, why would they need to be anywhere other than in the care of a trained first aider? How many of us in the village have the stamina for CPR or know how to do it? How will lone villagers call for help in the first place? The principle of having emergency help to hand is good but there are a lot of aspects to consider, mixing the desire to help with a desire to keep the phone box seems a bit muddled. Perhaps we can think of other uses for the box and look at an AED in the care of a first aider? Jo
This item was on the Agenda for the December Planning meeting. Click on the Parish Council tab for a summary. Generally the PC councillors present seemed to be very sympathetic to the use of the Phone Box to house a defibrillator.