New Defibrillator

New Zealand Insulators have an "improvement form" process, whereby anyone in the business can put forward ideas that can 
enhance the business. One recent idea was to install a defibrillator (AED) to save a life if a medical event takes place.

An Automated External Defibrillator (AED) is a portable device that saves lives during sudden cardiac arrest by analyzing the heart's rhythm and delivering an electric shock to restore a normal heartbeat. It guides the user with voice prompts, checking for, and delivering a shock only if needed, making it safe for anyone to use.

Here is how AEDs work, according to Hato Hone St John and the National Institutes of Health (NIH): 

• Analyze Heart Rhythm: Once the electrode pads are placed on a person’s bare chest, they send ECG signals to the device. The AED's computer analyzes this, looking for life-threatening arrhythmias, such as Ventricular Fibrillation (VF) or Ventricular Tachycardia (VT).
• Deliver Shock: If a "shockable" rhythm is detected, the machine uses battery power to charge itself and advises the user to press a button to deliver a shock, or it delivers it automatically.
• Interrupt and Reset: The electric shock stops the heart's chaotic activity for a split second, allowing the heart's natural pacemaker to reset and regain a normal, effective rhythm.
• Safety Features: AEDs are designed to never shock a person unless necessary, as described by Hato Hone St John. They will tell the user "no shock advised" if the heart is not in a shockable state. 
  
  To ensure maximum benefit to the local Temuka community, the defibrillator was installed at 
  the office entrance so that it is accessible to anyone - it can be unlocked with a code from emergency services.
  
  The PDF link relates to the AED story in the "Magpie" Community Newspaper