A huge thanks goes out to the club’s Amenities Committee who, this week, have purchased and installed a brand new defibrillator at the Cricket Pavillion building near the U6/7s pitches and car park netball court.

The club already has another defibrillator inside the main hall, but as a preventative measure which we hope will never have cause to be used, having a second unit nearer the playing pitches could make all the difference should a situation call for it.

To prevent theft/vandalism, access to the defibrillator is via a key that is kept in a key safe next to the unit. The code to the key safe should be known by all age group head coaches and club support staff. Email club.admin@warlinghamrfc.com if you believe you should have knowledge of the key safe combination. Thank you!

What is a defibrillator?

A defibrillator is a device that gives a jolt of energy to the heart. It helps get the heart beating again when someone is in cardiac arrest and their heart has stopped.

You might also hear it being called a defib, a PAD (public access defibrillator) or an AED (automated external defibrillator).

If someone is in cardiac arrest, call 999 and start CPR. If you're on your own, do not interrupt CPR to go and find a defibrillator. If it's possible, send someone else to find one. Anyone can use a defibrillator. You do not need training. Once you turn it on, it will give clear step-by-step voice instructions.

Many defibrillators also have visual prompts and images showing how to use it.

The device checks the person’s heart rhythm and will only tell you to give them a shock if it’s needed. You cannot shock yourself or someone else accidentally.