Agenda item

The Committee considered the following report: 

 

“1.0     Purpose of Report or Summary of main Issues

 

1.1        To provide further update report to the Committee on the          progress with the public access defibrillator pilot             programme.

 

2.0      Recommendations

 

2.1      The Committee is asked to:

 

·        note the update on the pilot programme;

·        approve a second phase of the public access defibrillator programme for nine further Council sites – Botanic Park; City of Belfast Playing Fields; Grove Playing Fields; Cherryvale Playing Fields; Blanchflower Stadium; Wedderburn Playing Fields; Woodvale Playing Fields, Henry Jones Playing Fields and Woodlands Playing Fields.  This is subject to the identification of a suitable location with an electrical supply and confirmation with the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service (NIAS) that there are no other public access defibrillators within a short distance;

·        approve the proposed installation of a publicly donated public access defibrillator at the Lock Keepers Cottage site;

·        approve the registration of the existing Council workplace defibrillators on the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service database.

 

3.0      Main report

 

            Background

 

3.1      In considering a Notice of Motion moved by Councillor Garrett regarding defibrillators, the Strategic Policy and Resources Committee on the 20 November 2015 agreed to extend the Council’s deployment of defibrillators to a number of additional Council premises and also, on a trial basis, installing public access defibrillators in a number of Council parks / playing fields.  This report provides an update on this pilot programme. 

 

3.2      At the same Committee meeting (item 5b – non recurring expenditure), Members also agreed to the allocation of £15,000 funding for defibrillators at Council sites during 2016/17. 

 

3.3      Update on pilot public access defibrillator programme

 

            In accordance with the Committee’s instructions, public access defibrillators were installed in the following parks in May 2016:

 

·        Victoria Park

·        Waterworks Park

·        Fullerton Park

·        Tullycarnet Park

·        Boucher Road Playing Fields

·        Falls Park

 

3.4      In addition, two mobile defibrillators were also deployed in May 2016.  One is carried by a Safer Neighbourhood Officer Team and the other by a Parks Warden Team.

 

            The following is the status of these units as at 12 January 2017:

 

·        Deployment - there are no records of any of these defibrillators having actually been used in the first eight months of the pilot programme.

·        Vandalism – there has been no vandalism reported to the defibrillators installed in Victoria Park, Tullycarnet Park, Waterworks Park or Boucher Road Playing Fields.  The Fullerton Park defibrillator had been tampered with twice in the initial few months but remains in place with no further reports.  After initial vandalism to the Falls Park defibrillator cabinet, this was relocated to the reception area of the pavilion building and no further instances have been recorded.

·        Management - there are ongoing arrangements in place for the monitoring of the equipment and refresher training for a number of local staff. 

 

3.6      Potential second phase of public access defibrillator provision

 

            It is proposed that a second phase of public access defibrillators be installed using the funds allocated in November 2015.  During this pilot programme, the focus for public access defibrillators on Council sites has been on recreational facilities and those sites with significant public access or high footfall.

 

3.7      Continuing with this focus on recreational facilities and recognising the specific reference to sports facilities within the Community Resuscitation Strategy, the next phase of provision would be proposed for:

 

·        Botanic Park

·        City of Belfast Playing Fields

·        Grove Playing Fields

·        Cherryvale Playing Fields

·        Blanchflower Stadium

·        Wedderburn Playing Fields

·        Woodvale Playing Fields

·        Henry Jones Playing Fields

·        Woodlands Playing Fields

 

3.8      The provision of defibrillators at these sites would be subject to the identification of a suitable location with an electrical supply and confirmation with the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service (NIAS) that there are no other public access defibrillators within a short distance.

 

3.9      For this second phase of the pilot programme, we have excluded those premises not directly managed by Belfast City Council and those which have ready access to a Council supported defibrillator e.g.

 

            Ormeau Park Playing Fields – defibrillator available within the Ozone Centre

 

            Ballysillan Playing Fields – defibrillator available within Ballysillan Leisure Centre

 

            Victoria Park Playing Fields – defibrillator available at Victoria Park Bowling Pavilion

 

            Loughside Playing Fields – defibrillator available at Loughside Recreation Centre

 

3.10     Request for installation of a publicly donated defibrillator at the Lock Keepers Cottage site

 

            A request has been received from a member of the public wishing to donate a public access defibrillator to the Lock Keepers Cottage site.  The donations for this proposed defibrillator (and potentially a further device on the Lisburn and Castlereagh Council section of the Lagan Tow Path) have been raised in the memory of Matthew Thompson who sadly died on the 11 June 2016 when out jogging on the tow path.  This potential donation has been welcomed in principle by both the Parks Service and the Lagan Valley Regional Park site management and with the Committee’s approval they will work with the family to have this defibrillator installed and maintained in the most appropriate location.

 

3.11     Registration of Council workplace defibrillators on the NIAS database

 

            As part of the Northern Ireland Community Resuscitation Strategy, NIAS are compiling a database of defibrillators across Northern Ireland.  In the event of a relevant 999 call, it is anticipated that this database would enable the Control staff to be able to direct the caller to any nearby defibrillator so that they could commence defibrillation at the earliest opportunity.   At this time, the Council’s six public access defibrillators have all been registered with the NIAS database.  We would now propose that in support of the Community Resuscitation Strategy, the Council register all of its workplace defibrillators on the database and in doing so, make them available for public use. 

 

3.12     It is accepted that there will be some work involved for the Corporate Health and Safety Unit and the relevant premises managers / defibrillator co-ordinator in making these devices available for public use including clarifying the opening hours and accessibility of the defibrillator location; what would happen in the event of a member of the public requesting the defibrillator for off-site use; how the defibrillator would be returned / retrieved etc.

 

3.13     Alignment of Council approach to defibrillator provision with the Northern Ireland Community Resuscitation Strategy

 

            At a special meeting of the Committee in September, NIAS briefed the Members on the objectives of the Northern Ireland Community Resuscitation Strategy (NICRS). 

 

3.14     The Council’s current defibrillator provision supports the following NICRS objectives

 

·        improve the availability of, an access to, the automated external defibrillators that are in place across Northern Ireland;

·        encourage members of the public to intervene in the event of an out of hospital cardiac arrest;

·        raise public awareness of the importance of early recognition of an out of hospital cardiac arrest and the importance of early intervention;

 

3.15     Restart a Heart Day

 

            In conjunction with the European Union Restart a Heart Day campaign on Tuesday 18 October 2016, the Corporate Health and Safety Unit hosted two sessions for interested staff to learn CPR (cardio pulmonary resuscitation) skills.  Both sessions were well attended and the training initiative well received.

 

3.16     Further steps

 

            It is important to note that substantive improvements in successfully responding to out of hospital cardiac arrest in the City are heavily dependent on the implementation of the NI Community Resuscitation Strategy.  The Committee may therefore, in future, wish to consider, how it receives updates on this Strategy and links any further work, including any additional deployment with this Strategy.

 

3.17     Financial & Resource Implications

 

            The estimated cost of purchasing, installing and maintaining the second phase of eight externally located public access defibrillators is £15,000.  It should be noted that there is no recurrent provision for this funding.

 

3.18     Equality or Good Relations Implications

 

            The Council’s Good Relations Unit have advised that proposals for extending the deployment of defibrillators will have a positive effect on the Health and Wellbeing of people who work, live and visit Belfast and that this is a positive equality action.”

 

            The Committee adopted the recommendations.