Life-saving defibrillators installed at Northern train stations

Funding from the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority has seen a total of 36 new defibrillators installed in the last few months of 2022 – including Kiveton Bridge, Kiveton Park and Shireoaks – ensuring every Northern station in South Yorkshire has one.

Every defibrillator has step-by-step, spoken word instructions built-in to it which explain how to use it on someone in an emergency.

Computers inside the defibrillators work to analyse a person’s heart rhythms to find out if an electric shock is needed. Electrodes then automatically deliver the shock if required.

All of the life-saving units have been added to the national register and training will be offered by the local ambulance service to station staff along with local communities.

Tony Baxter, Northern regional director, said: “All our defibrillators are in public places, and they are of huge benefit, not only to those travelling with us, but also the communities we serve.

“We plan to continue to introduce life-saving defibrillators at even more of our stations. I would like to thank SYMCA for their help in making this happen.”

Northern, which runs trains between Sheffield and Lincoln, via Kiveton Bridge, Kiveton Park, Shireoaks, Worksop and Retford, installed more than 100 defibrillators across its stations last year.

John Dowie, of SYMCA, said: ““We welcome the latest installations. Having them available on public spaces used daily by a large number of people is reassuring as it significantly increases the chance of survival following a cardiac arrest.”