Public-access defibrillators
‘Heartsafe in Heidelberg‘ campaign
First aid can save lives. When a person suffers a heart attack, every second counts – without resuscitation measures, the chances of survival drop by ten percent a minute. To ensure that rapid, effective action can be taken even before a doctor or paramedic arrives at the scene, the City of Heidelberg has linked up with the Björn Steiger Foundation to launch the ‘Heartsafe in Heidelberg’ campaign. More and more public-access defibrillators, or AEDs (Automated External Defibrillators) are being located in heavily-frequented parts of the city. They enable people with little or no medical knowledge to deliver rapid and effective first aid in the event of a heart attack.
Locations
- Swimming pools (City-Bad, Hallenbad-Hasenleiser, Hallenbad Köpfel, Tiergartenbad, Thermalbad)
- Cableway stations (Kornmarkt, Schloss, Molkenkur, Königstuhl)
- Stadthalle, Neckarstaden 24
- Town Hall, Main entrance, foyer
- Kurpfälzisches Museum, Hauptstraße 97, entrance to ticket office
- Theater, Theaterstraße 10, main entrance
- Municipal Library, Poststraße 15, main entrance
- School of Music and Singing, Kirchstraße 2, main entrance, Foyer
- Citizen’s office Mitte, Bergheimer Straße 69, main entrance
- Prinz Carl administrative building, Kornmarkt 1, main entrance
- Palais Graimberg, Kornmarkt 5, main entrance
- City Cleansing and Waste Department, Hardtstraße 2, main entrance to office building
- Office for Social Affairs and Senior Citizens, Bergheimer Straße 155, main entrance
- Administrative building, Friedrich-Ebert-Platz 3, foyer
- Wood-fired power station, Eppelheimer Straße 68-72
Correct procedure in an emergency
Successful use of a public-access defibrillator depends crucially on adopting the correct procedure for coronary-pulmonary resuscitation. The defibrillator itself is just an additional accessory, and is not a substitute for proper CPR. The defibrillator provides audible instructions on what to do. The Björn Steiger Foundation and the City of Heidelberg recommend first aiders to follow the following 6 steps for resuscitation:
- Step 1: Keep calm and start taking action immediately
- Step 2: Talk to the person! If they do not react, shout loudly for help so that a second person can call the emergency services
- Step 3: Remove clothing to reveal the person’s chest. Stretch their head back and listen, watch and feel to see whether they are still breathing
- Step 4: If the person has stopped breathing, start heart massage immediately. This involves putting your two hands on top of each other and rhythmically pressing the lower part of the chest as hard as possible without pausing
- Step 5: Switch on the defibrillator and follow the voice prompts. The two electrodes should be attached to the person’s upper chest, as far as possible after removing any hair
- Step 6: The defibrillator analyses the person’s heartbeat and recommends one of two measures: “Trigger Shock” by pressing a button or “Continue Chest Compressions”. The machine also helps you to carry out the chest compressions correctly by setting the rhythm and telling you how much pressure to exert