Support for app that locates life-saving defibrillators

A free app that informs smartphone users where the nearest defibrillator is and gives clear instructions on how to use it in an emergency, has been endorsed by the parents of a promising Gaelic player who died from sudden adult death syndrome.

“Without a doubt this app could save lives. It is a fabulous idea,” said Philip Carr, whose son Ciaran, 20, collapsed while training with the Round Towers senior football team in Dublin in January 2012.

Along with Ciaran’s mother, Gemma, and friends, he set up the Ciaran Carr Foundation to try and prevent other sudden cardiac deaths.

“It is proven and the evidence is there that if you have a defibrillator applied that it does work. But we still need the message to get out there about how important they are. We are delighted to support this app,” said Philip.

The ‘AED Finder and Emergency Responder’ app is the brainchild of Mick Rochford. Its development by Dublin-based company Saoirse Technology has been financially supported by Mick without any outside funding.

“The idea came to me nearly two years ago when I was a soccer coach at Dunboyne football club. We did a course on how to use a defibrillator. I quickly realised there is no register of where the nearest defibrillator, [also called an AED] was if you were in an emergency and needed one as quick as possible,” he said.

The app will tell the emergency services the longitude and latitude of where the caller is “so no ambulance goes to the wrong place again. It includes clear instructions on how to do CPR and how to use a defibrillator because as we all know every minute counts when someone’s life is at risk,” said Mick.

The app, available for Apple and Android devices, has been downloaded over 1,000 times.

[e-mail]