East Midlands Railway has announced plans to install a defibrillator at Long Eaton Railway Station as part of a wider scheme across its managed stations network in Derbyshire.
A total of nine stations including one in the south of Erewash, will include a defibrillator which comes with step-by-step instructions built in, explaining what to do should someone suffer a cardiac arrest in the vicinity.
Defibrillators analyse the patient's heart rhythms to establish if an electric shock is needed. If this is confirmed, electrodes can then automatically deliver it.
According to the British Heart Foundation, having a defibrillator to hand when someone suffers a cardiac arrest contributes greatly to improving their chances of survival with the BHF stating that. for every minute it takes for a defibrillator to reach someone to deliver the shock needed, chances of survival reduce up to 10%.
Station adopters and local community rail partnerships suggested the locations of all nine of the defibrillators.
Donna Adams, community engagement manager, said: “Each second counts when someone has a cardiac arrest, and with many thousands of people passing through our stations each day, they are ideal places to install a defibrillator.
“We are pleased to be able to contribute to such an important project and bring such vital equipment to communities right across the region we serve.”