AED defibrillators along the entire Autostrada…

Autostrada Wielkopolska purchased 22 AED defibrillators. This life-saving equipment in the event of a sudden cardiac arrest will be available to travelers at each of the Rest and Service Areas (“MOP”) on the A2 concession section.

In the event of a sudden cardiac arrest when the heart stops pumping blood, there are 3 to 5 minutes to start cardiopulmonary resuscitation. After this time, irreversible changes occur in the person’s brain. That is why it is so important to provide assistance as soon as possible, even before the arrival of the ambulance. An AED defibrillator can help restore the heartbeat.

From today, AED defibrillators are available for rescuers and other emergency responders at 6 Rest and Service Areas of Autostrada Wielkopolska between Świecko and Nowy Tomyśl (Sosna, Gnilec, Koryta, Walewice, Rogoziniec and Chociszewo) and 9 Rest and Service Areas between Nowy Tomyśl and Konin (Wytomyśl, Dopiewiec, Konarzewo, Sołeczno, Gozdowo, Skarboszewo, Lądek, Osiecza III, and Osiecza II). Further 7 defibrillators will be installed right after the New Year.

This equipment can definitely save a persons’ life. We hope AED defibrillator will not have to be used, but prefer to have it available in case of need in any Rest and Service Areas or on the motorway. We realize that in the course of successive waves of the pandemic, immediate access to professional medical assistance may in some cases be limited, and the ambulance may not arrive immediately. That is why we decided to fully install such devices to improve first aid and increase the chances of a person’s survival while waiting for paramedics. In addition, in the coming years we plan to promote and provide quick training to willing drivers who stop at the Rest and Service Areas in the field of basic first aid rules. The health and safety of travelers is our top priority, says Krzysztof Andrzejewski of the Management Board of Autostrada Wielkopolska.

AED defibrillators are located in special cabinets connected, among others, with the Operation and Management Center, and are monitored. Each opening of the cabinet and removal of the defibrillator is recorded and checked by motorway patrols, in order to protect travelers and ensure their safety even more effectively.

In a situation where someone needs help using a defibrillator, where to start is not an issue. Each defibrillator is equipped with voice instructions and guides the rescuer step by step by analyzing the patient’s condition. As a result, even untrained AED users can save someone’s life. Remember that while waiting for an ambulance to arrive for an unconscious person, providing help and starting defibrillation within 3-5 minutes of losing consciousness increases such person’s chances of survival by as much as 70%. In turn, each minute of delay in starting defibrillation reduces these chances by 10%.

Each lifesaving kit placed on the toilet buildings of the Rest and Service Areas consists of a two-phase semi-automatic defibrillator (AED) with an integrated pediatric mode and electrodes. Defibrillators are placed in special AED cabinets, equipped with a light alarm, night illumination, a heating module activated in winter and a cooling system for summer. Next to the cabinets, there are boards with instructions on how to deal with emergencies and how to use the AED defibrillator.