Slingsby’s defibrillator and the VETS scheme

Defib tel box IMG_2983

A defibrillator was installed in December 2015 in the telephone box on the village green. It is a portable unit (designed for people with no medical knowledge) which can administer a measured electrical shock to a heart attack victim in order to re-establish a steady heart rhythm. The VETS scheme is the Village Emergency Telephone System run by local volunteers and is explained below.

If you are in a situation where a defibrillator may be required, you must first dial 999 to get medical help. The ambulance service will, if appropriate, inform you that there is a defibrillator in the telephone box on the village green and give you the access code for it. They will stay on the line if required.

However, the occasion may arise where you are the only person with the patient and therefore cannot go and get the defibrillator. This is where the Village Emergency Telephone System (VETS) comes into play.

Dial 01653 272999 and all 9 volunteers’ telephone lines will ring simultaneously. The first one to pick up the call will then get the necessary information from you about your location, retrieve the defibrillator, come to you and assist.

All the volunteers have been trained and are due to receive additional training within the next few weeks.

PLEASE MAKE A NOTE OF THE VETS NUMBER NOW: 01653 272999

Any questions/queries please contact Fiona Farnell 01653 628285