Following the successful installation last year of Automated External Defibrillators or AEDs outside ten HMGoG Schools, the second phase of this project is now being implemented. The remaining four schools, together with the University of Gibraltar and Bleak House, will be provided imminently with Stryker CR2 units and protective cabinets, kindly donated by the Gibraltar Cardiac Association.

As in the first phase, training and maintenance of these new units will kindly be provided by St John Ambulance and the Gibraltar Ambulance Service. The ongoing intention is that training opportunities continue to be cascaded internally by schools to staff and pupils, where age appropriate and in line with the established scheme of learning.

The intentional positioning of AEDs on the perimeter of educational settings ensures that not only pupils, staff and visitors have access, but also the general public. This in turn complements the wider AED distribution plan of life-saving equipment in Gibraltar.

The Department of Education, the Gibraltar Cardiac Association and St John Ambulance are keen to continue collaborating in the future by raising awareness of AED locations in Gibraltar and their distinct usage. A Memorandum of Understanding has been signed in support of this ongoing initiative where aims and objectives, together with individual roles and responsibilities, are captured.