About defibrillators
If a person suffers a sudden cardiac arrest, sometimes a high energy electric shock can restore a more stable rhythm and save their life.
This is called defibrillation and is done using a machine called a defibrillator. These are sometimes known as 'defibs' or automated external defibrillators (AEDs).
There are 2 types of defibrillators:
- Community Public Access Defibrillator (CPAD): placed inside an external, locked cabinet, in the community that can be opened with a code provided by the 999 call taker should it be needed.
- Static defibrillator: placed inside a building and available for as long as the building remains open, such as an office between 9am–5pm.