Pocket-Sized Defibrillators: Transforming First Response

When someone suffers a cardiac arrest, every second counts. Every minute without CPR and defibrillation reduces survival chances by up to 10%. With the rapid use of a defibrillator, survival rates can reach as high as 70%.

In the event of a large or complex incident, such as a multi-floor building fire or a motorway collision, the distance between a firefighter working at the scene and a defibrillator fixed to a wall or stored in a vehicle can be considerable. That distance costs time Emergency Services crews cannot necessarily afford to lose.

While defibrillators save lives, traditional devices are bulky and heavy. Fire crews already carry breathing apparatus, PPE and radio equipment, and the cumulative weight takes a real physical toll across any given shift.  

Portable defibrillators

A new generation of ultra-portable defibrillators could change how fire crews respond to medical emergencies and protect public safety.

St John Ambulance’s HEART Pocket defibrillator weighs just 700 g and is roughly the size of a mobile phone, making it the smallest and lightest defibrillator currently available.

The HEART Pocket is small enough to fit in a pocket. As such, crew members can remain agile and quick. This means less fatigue across a shift, faster movement when it counts and, crucially, quicker time-to-treatment for patients.

Crew members can respond to a cardiac arrest incident the moment they arrive on scene. What’s more, the HEART Pocket provides step-by-step voice guidance with CPR prompts, including a metronome and hand placement instructions, thereby enabling responders to confidently intervene before specialist support arrives.  

The HEART Pocket is supplied with an eight-year warranty and approved to the EU’s Medical Device Regulation, meeting the highest standards of safety and reliability to protect the public.

Ready to respond

Cardiac arrest doesn’t discriminate by age so the equipment carried by those who respond should reflect that. The HEART Pocket features a built-in paediatric mode, allowing Emergency Services personnel to switch between adult and child settings at the press of a button, with no need to carry separate pads or additional accessories.

For crews attending house fires, school incidents or family emergencies, that capability matters.

Fire and Rescue Service equipment must withstand heat, smoke, water and extreme physical impact. The HEART Pocket is rated IP65 for dust and water resistance and has been drop-tested from 1.5 metres.

Drawing on over 150 years of First Aid expertise, St John Ambulance has built this device for the unpredictable conditions that fire crews face every day such that they can rely on the HEART Pocket, no matter what situations they may face on their shift.

Power of First Aid

Defibrillators mounted on walls or stored in vehicles can save lives, but distance and delay remain an obstacle. With portable defibrillators, whomever arrives first on scene brings the life-saving capability with them, closing the gap between arrival and treatment.

St John Ambulance is the sole UK distributor of the HEART Pocket defibrillator, helping fire crews to save lives across the country.

All profits from sales of the defibrillator are ploughed back into supporting the charity’s vital work, in turn helping to fund the essential training and equipment volunteers need at their disposal in order to keep communities safe.

Gareth Barker is Head of Event Healthcare at St John Ambulance (www.sja.org.uk)

*Further information is available online at shop.sja.org.uk/s/pkt0