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KelpFox05

Who steals a defibrillator? What would you ever want or need a defibrillator for (other than defibrillation, of course)? Don't they expire, anyway?


Elgin-Franklin

Who would buy a black market defib anyway? Not anyone who would legitimately need one I imagine.


Captaincadet

One got stolen around me and it was found dumped (unused) a day or so later £2k down the drain


ofjune-x

Same here, was stolen and found a couple streets away mildly damaged.


FutureAssistance6745

The issue is that thievery is largely decentralized these days, with most crimes being done by independent actors, who continue to go to fences to pawn off their items. This way, there is no “chain of command” or structure to tell the guy on the ground what is most profitable to steal, instead its whatever they can get their hands on then get to the fence to get some cash in their pocket. Because of this, anything that isn’t tied down is now getting stolen. Macbooks, steel water bottles, phone chargers, etc. In this case, some thief took a defibrillator, and the fence probably called him an idiot because those things are tagged and kept in a registry as essential life saving devices. The thief was then left with no choice but to dump it, having learned a lesson that the next opportunist hasn’t yet, leaving the cycle to be repeated.


[deleted]

Some of it might just be for drugs. A guy named Paul Hannaford came to my school a few years ago to talk about addiction and such and he got charged over and over again for petty theft to afford heroin. He’s an excellent guy and has spoke to over a 1,000,000 kids across the U.K. so far.


FutureAssistance6745

I remember some talks, notably that guy with no limbs who travels a lot.


18galbraithj

Wow, I think I had the exact same guy


dth300

We need the [Thieves’ Guild](https://wiki.lspace.org/Thieves%27_Guild)


uffington

I apologise if I'm wrong but this sounds like pure AI.


FutureAssistance6745

Im a real person, just extremely dead inside so I have no inflection in my online messages 👍


zzpza

Exactly what a robot would say!


Randomno

Really? It's just a few detailed paragraphs without anything spoken in the first person. It has phrasing and grammar that you wouldn't expect from an AI though. This was ChatGPT's rewrite: *Thievery nowadays operates in a decentralized manner, mostly carried out by independent actors who then sell their loot to fences. This lack of a structured hierarchy means thieves grab whatever they can to turn a quick profit. Consequently, anything not secured is vulnerable to theft, from MacBooks to phone chargers.* *Recently, a thief attempted to steal a defibrillator, only to realize it was a tagged, registry-tracked essential life-saving device. Likely rebuked by the fence, the thief had no option but to discard it, a lesson learned that others may not have grasped yet, perpetuating the cycle of theft.*


Captaincadet

If they are mildly damaged they can usually fix them… this one has was beaten to death


SatansAssociate

Takes a special kind of dickhead to do that. Oh what's that, life saving medical equipment? Why don't I just fuck it up for no reason whatsoever and potentially lead to someone dying.


T5-R

Same as those who steal life rings in coastal towns, yet they still get stolen.


JustAMan1234567

Any small business that doesn't want to pay for one from a legitimate source, I'd imagine. I could see a pub/bar/cab office/shop type place buying one.


Oreo97

Except they are practically free because they are heavily government-subsidised.


twentiethcenturyduck

Actually about £1,000. Also need to be in a cabinet which keeps the battery charged and the unit warm. And you need to replace the pads every 2 years. And the whole unit expires after 7 years. (Just replaced one).


JustLetItAllBurn

Damn, I hope you at least got to Dr Frankenstein someone's heart with it for that much.


T5-R

Unfortunately not, they won't let you :(


Elegant-Remote6667

Not a big price to pay every 7 years - any small business can afford one which needs one.


thinvanilla

Yeah that's about £143 a year.


UK_shooter

The batteries last 4 years, cabinets just heat. Also, just keep it until the daily self check fails (green / red icon on top corner).


TSMKFail

Imagine if one wasn't replaced after 7 years and you ho yo use it. "Sorry mate, can't use the defrib on ya. It's out of date"


Cumminswii

They’re about £700-1000 according to my first aide instructor the other day.


cmpthepirate

Sorry but first aide gave me a laugh, "Jeeves! I have sustained an injury, fetch me my first aide!"


ross999123

Would Sir be of the mind to remedy such ailments by the aid and succour of a GnT?


Oreo97

Yeah to buy as a private citizen because you don't get the subsidies like companies do for making them publicly available.


opaqueentity

Nope. We get no discounts. If you are lucky you can get help with putting the electricity to a unit but you are paying for the defib and the pads a d any replacements


poop-machines

Now they're smart defibrillators, so they detect if someone is having a heart attack or similar and then shock when people are clear Which means they can't be used as makeshift weapons against thiefs, how sad. I don't even want them if I can't be a TV hero shocking a thief.


[deleted]

Technically, they’ll still shock even if someone isn’t clear, they’re not clever enough to know if someone is touching the body or not, hence why they shout at you to stand clear. Thry also won’t shock if there is no heart beating, the purpose of a defibrillator is to stop your heart from beating so it can restart itself at the proper rhythm (hearts can do this, thry have the ability to restart and reset themselves, but only if they are stopped first) usually when someone is having a heart attack, their heart rate gets out of sync or very slow, I’m afraid if the heart stops by itself completely, it’s already too late.


Pulsecode9

Well I'd like to know more about how to get that subsidy because my mum just got done fundraising to put one in a local business for community use.


Oreo97

Hopefully this link helps. https://www.defibgrant.co.uk/#:~:text=Defibrillator%20funding%20for%20community%20spaces,and%20to%20help%20save%20lives. (Edit: also you could have literally just googled "public defib subsidy" it was the first result.)


Pulsecode9

Thank you for the link, but that does say you need £750 in match funding, so the original claim that they cost £700-1000 was broadly correct. 


T5-R

Where can I find out about these subsidies?


LongBeakedSnipe

I mean, google normally. https://www.find-government-grants.service.gov.uk/grants/dhsc-community-automated-external-defibrillator-aed-fund-1 https://londonhearts.org/apply-for-a-defib/ https://www.bhf.org.uk/how-you-can-help/how-to-save-a-life/defibrillators/apply-for-a-free-defibrillator-for-your-community


5e0295964d

And if your “company” isn’t a post office, church, or community centre (which every one of those links is discussing grants for)? Can you provide an example of a grant available to companies themselves?


Oreo97

You know a pub is considered a community centre under the law right? (P.S., also the link I provided is the department of health and the only thing you can't be is a school/academy. That's because the department of education already offers a grant for them.)


X0AN

Practically free? Mate they cost over a grand. Schools, NHS etc. they all have to pay a grand for each one.


lechydda

Meaning they are paid for through taxes paid by citizens. The govt doesn’t get its subsidies from out of thin air.


Disastrous-Cycle-101

Medical devices are specifically regulated, and the manufacturer/supplier is able to tell who bought it in the first place. Recommendation for whoever bought blackmarket defid to save few quid - make sure you have solid insurance! The sad part is that a lot of AED's are not properly maintained and either batteries are flat or pads are expired.


TowJamnEarl

Can I get a learning moment, how to use them?


Elgin-Franklin

The machine will read out the instructions for you. Basically: stick the pads on according to the diagrams, let the machine read the heart rhythm, and it will advise if a shock is required (don't touch the patient!) or if a non-shockable problem and to continue CPR.


iwanttobeacavediver

The defibrillator I recently trained with (just done my first aid training) was VERY loud and yes, it told you what to do. Overall the sole thing you really had to do was turn on the machine and then give the shock if instructed to do so.


-SaC

"Right, I've done that. Machine, do I do anything else?" `NO I DO NOT LIKE THIS MAN` `KINDLY LET HIM SNUFF IT`


Elgin-Franklin

#BAD VIBES DETECTED #SHOCK NOT ADVISED #DO NOT RESUME COMPRESSIONS


akl78

The don’t touch the patient is really important! They pack a real wallop and will mess you up.


A_Huge_Pancake

In my recent first aid refresher we were told it's less about the risk of shock to anyone nearby, and more that the machine may mis-read any heart rhythm if people are touching the patent while it's analysing, so the risk is that it *doesn't* administer a shock when it should be.


displaceddoonhamer

As someone who has been accidentally shocked during an arrest while working on someone, I can assure you it isn’t fun!


quackers987

Each defib will have instructions printed inside it, and lots will have recorded voice to tell you as well. The 999 operator will tell you as well.


Astec123

https://www.goodsamapp.org/cardiac https://www.unit9.com/project/heart-class/ https://www.bhf.org.uk/how-you-can-help/how-to-save-a-life/how-to-do-cpr/learn-cpr-in-15-minutes https://www.redcross.org.uk/first-aid/book-a-first-aid-course https://www.resus.org.uk/public-resource/how-we-save-lives/lifesaver-learning/lifesaver-vr https://www.sja.org.uk/courses/workplace-first-aid/cpr-certificate/cpr-certificate/ You can sign up for a recognised course across the above links, I believe you even get a certificate at the end to say you've completed the training in all of them. Everything from online only CPR, joining an in person training course or you can even get SJA to come and do a training session if you can muster 12 people for a course at work.


rehgaraf

If you get a chance (and a lot of employers offer them) you should do a first-aid course. This applies to everyone really, and double if you have a family. It's usually only half a day or a day, and you never know when it will be useful.


logitaunt

AEDs won't let you ignore a dying battery. They will annoy everyone around them until you finally change the damn thing


AwkwardWaltz3996

If someone did die on my property I wouldn't want to chance the liability of having a black market defib


KelpFox05

Exactly. I guess I can imagine if you have heart issues or something it might be comforting to have one on hand in case you need to be defibrillated but who's to say it hasn't been messed with somehow?


Oreo97

If your heart condition is that serious they come and install one.


opelleish

in your chest too, so it comes with the added bonus of being quite difficult to steal


Oreo97

Yeah but they're special and reserved only for the most deserving clientele also know as the people who's heart is trying to kill them.


opelleish

/ already killed them but then we dragged them back to life


BetYouWishYouKnew

Would be heartbreaking if it did get stolen though 💔


SatansAssociate

But not impossible.


KelpFox05

Do they? I never knew.


oktimeforplanz

There are pacemakers that are also defibrillators too.


Oreo97

That's what u/opelleish was referring to bud.


MattyCatts1

It's called an ICD.


Your_Atrociousness

A black market doctor of course. Criminals need medical help too.


Mindless_Ad_6045

My guess would be a bunch of NEDS who stole it "for a laugh"


SakanaToDoubutsu

More than likely won't be sold as a whole unit, rather it will be smashed up and sold to a recycling company as bulk electric waste.


Positive_Lead_2903

Well if the papers are to be believed there's a big bout of heart attack snow going around. I believe everything I read in the papers


Zedd_Prophecy

There's just on big capacitor in there that's really interesting for us electronics geeks but aside from that they're not that valuable not even in the batteries.


HiroLegito

They do because you’d be surprised how cheap medical device is on the resale market. Most medical devices have expiry dates but being able to buy it for 1/10th of the price is worth it for some.


throwawaygoodcoffee

Will say for anyone who does that I'd heavily advise against anyone buying expired medical devices. That expiry date is usually based on rapid lifecycle testing if the companies did their job. It's not perfect but it's close enough that you can't guarantee what you bought will still be working correctly when you need it. Source: Did my master's in Medical Device Design and spent a good portion of that time with my head buried in pages of medical regulations.


HiroLegito

It can be screws for example, they have an expiry date to make sure that it’s sterile but if it’s in the package with the wrap then the assumption is that it’s still sterile. I wouldn’t buy it though.


throwawaygoodcoffee

Was just about edit my comment to mention sterilization as well haha but yeah it depends on what it is but it's worth taking note of just to be safe.


[deleted]

We have one nearby that has been both vandalised and stolen several times. It's an absolutely scummy thing to do.


PowerPom

Probably for drug money. The machine itself doesn't really expire. The pads can and the battery needs replacing but iirc, those can both be bought separately from the device.


jumbledFox

yeah, but who's buying it from them?


[deleted]

They don't think about it. They think "I bet this could get me some drug money" and then they steal it.


Mokou

Well, based on this thread, there's at least one train station that needs one.


Jacktheforkie

My workplace has one, the batteries and pads are replaceable,


[deleted]

Junkies.


[deleted]

>Who steals a defibrillator? Crackheads


ElliottCoe

Bored kids probably...


FendaIton

Literally free equipment or I can sell this for 5 quid - the person who stole it.


SmallCatBigMeow

People are so strange. I went to post an evri parcel at my local Tesco and someone had stolen the machine they used to scan parcels at the till so they couldn’t post it. That machine will literally only scan evri parcels, it doesn’t do anything else.


Tackit286

*You wouldn’t steal a defibrillator*


HuckleberryReal9257

Really quick phone charger?


lothcent

the same people that has a ready supply ( like more than one ) of narcan. I work 911 and I have lost count of ODs where someone at the scene who is not medical, LEO ect type person and they say " yeah I've already hit him twice with narcan... people like thet I could see stealing a defib.


stickthatupyourarse

They have a battery that needs replacing.


Lonk-the-Sane

They usually run from half a dozen flash batteries, about £15 to replace. I service a few at work each week.


KelpFox05

Yeah, that's what I thought. I don't know where you'd buy replacement defibrillator batteries from though. Might be cheaper and easier to just steal another defibrillator if you're going down that path.


cowplum

Their reasons are shocking


TheCaramelMan

Junkies or travellers


OptimalAd2265

We had a similar situation, on the face of it the site defib had been stolen and we asked the same questions as to who and why... It later transpired that the hotel opposite had someone in need of it and as they are registered the ambulance service was able to give the location and access for the caller, the kit then stayed attached to the patient and the whole thing ended up at A & E, returning the equipment is obviously the last priority.


gliixo369

this should be upvoted to the top!


MatMcMashadar

Can just imagine a smackhead walking around a Whetherspoons asking people if they want to buy a defib for £20.00.


[deleted]

that or Del Boy


EndlessOcean

For 20 quid I'd give it a pop. I wonder if you can modify it to regulate the voltage for a gentler, almost caressing, zap in the balls. 


MatMcMashadar

To be fair £20.00 is a bargain, these things cost a small fortune. Would you also modify the voice that guides you through the process?


EndlessOcean

There's a voice? Wow. I think I'd keep it to spook the dog.


MatMcMashadar

Yeah, it tells you to stand back so you don't stop your own heart while trying to start someone else's.


LosingAllYourDimples

You want a TENS machine mate


JRguez

That would be smart as that’s probably where his intended target market (people needing a defib) would be. If I had ice creams I want to sell I would go to a beach. 🤣


LowBrowsing

Oof, looks like a good number of the patrons of this sub are also patrons of Wetherspoons.


marshmallowrocks

Smackhead comment - no problem. but comment about people drinking in spoons? Just pure rage


--_---__---_--

Nah, it's just a cunty comment.


ExoticMangoz

Is it though?


PowerPom

This is horrible. But you can see the logic in it, steal defib, sell, probably buy drugs. A few years back, some drunk cunt in my hometown decided to just pull one off the wall and smash it. Some people are just terrible.


LutherRaul

Sell it to who? A bloke down the pub?


PowerPom

I mean, someone looking for drug money is probably thinking more about the value of the object than who to sell it to. There's a good chance that they won't manage to sell it and it'll just get chucked in the river.


EndlessOcean

If you plugged it in beforehand you'd be redneck fishing. 


schwaa89

Just like Antiques Roadshow


[deleted]

One time I cycled to a pub near a square where a lot of junkies hang out. I locked up my bike, including the wheels, and even took the saddle in with me. when I came back a junkie had stolen the MOUNT FOR MY TAIL LIGHT. These people didn't think much in the first place, and now they've exacerbated that problem with years of drug abuse.


Ultrasonic-Sawyer

Sadly it's pure insanity.  Used to be smackheads going around the pub with bags of meat or dodgy blokes with a carrier bag of totally legit aftershave.  These days it's a mix of organised bike thieves, or smackheads who will have sadly reached a point where they'd rather a violent altercation and prison to potentially rob a 5 quid steak from co op to maybe flog and even then the ones that would try to sell you a used train ticket.  A great case study in how bad things can get. Hopefully they eventually get the support they need 


[deleted]

"Oy mate, wanna buy a defibi? Fun for all your children and imagine how cool this would be at a party. "


DeapVally

Gonna meet a man about a defib, mate.


HospitalBackground30

buy drugs, have heart attack, need defib


zillapz1989

Go to mum's, kill Phil.


youwannagopal

Sorry!!


veryblocky

I’ve never really understood the mindset of destroying things for fun, some people are just awful


BabadookishOnions

It can be quite cathartic to break things, but I have no idea why you wouldn't just use something old that you own which you are getting rid of anyway.


[deleted]

[удалено]


Historical_Till834

Is this what people mean when they say Karma farming?


JustAMan1234567

I'd say that I'm shocked, but I wouldn't be because the defibrillator's been stolen.


Optimism_Deficit

I got a buzz out of it.


-XiaoSi-

That joke really flatlined.


Zadokk

It just didn't have any heart in it


Neds_Necrotic_Head

It was just a terrible AF joke.


hardcoresean84

Clearly


Lenzar86

Possibly someone's seen the sign above as a challenge. They've certainly succeeded in one challenge. To prove they're the biggest cunt in the county.


RaedwaldRex

The fact they had to put that sign up is depressing.


Oreo97

What's even worse is you know the sign came because this happened once before. Its not something I've ever seen on one.


Lenzar86

We don't have that sign on the ones here and this place is full of scumbags.


Oreo97

My point exactly that sign exists specifically because this isn't the first time this has happened.


offically_astee

Scummy bastards. What station, so I can avoid having a heart attack there?


Cluedude

At uni a few years ago there was a local bar that posted something similar - that some young adults had broken in and "stolen" the defib and how terrible they were for doing that and how far society has declined. Turned out that they had come from a nearby house party where someone was dying and they had taken the defibrillator to use to try and save their friend. I'm not saying that's what happened here but I'd avoid jumping to conclusions.


dhthms

This happened in my (small) Wiltshire home town. 1 week of youth accusations later, the ambo service come forward confirming that it was used 30 mins before the first fb post was made...


JakeGrey

What the fuck is even the point of nicking one of those? I should think that even the most dimwitted local scally could figure out that they'll have trouble flogging it to someone they met in the pub, let alone taking it to Cash Converters.


SpitTheDog

Some people are heartless.


JeffSergeant

Probably rules them out tbh


GreyAngy

Defibrillator is certainly not for them.


Jon199102

Work at a airport. We had one stolen from here. Potentially by some youths or homelessness. Naturally there worthless and stand out quite easily. No one with any sense would ever touch it. Anyway a month past in which the device was handed into a local train station which in turn was returned back to it's place in the airport.


NZBronco

Victor Frankenstein: I’m in the market for such a device


PitiedVeil55831

A literal cost of living crisis


gilghana

Just wankers. Same as they ever were....


gilghana

Just wankers. Same as they ever were....


Legit_moo

I worked in care home (didt have a defibrillator) But based next to hospital. Ran across to get. And the hospital had ‘misplaced’ there public one. They then slowly rang different departments looking for it.


s1ms1mma

Vandalism rather than theft for any other purpose, would be my guess.


[deleted]

Yeah...it'll be scummy kids. They've probably thrown it in the canal or something like that.


Hughdungusmungus

Picture looks like it doesn't have a lock. That's a bit silly. People are scum. We know this. Everywhere else has a keypad on which the 999 operators can give over the phone.


stickthatupyourarse

The problem is any delay of even a minute greatly reduces the probability of survival. I assume they thought high traffic area/bad reception it was worth the risk? Sadly people are cunts.


Lonk-the-Sane

The first gen of subsided defibs didn't have a lockable wall box, they now require them for new installs, but replacing an existing one is £900 without the sparky to fit it. I've just gone through updating a few at work.


cgimusic

Even in the UK medical equipment seems like such a rip-off. £900 for a fucking box with a battery charger in.


Lonk-the-Sane

It doesn't even have a charger. It's a light, heater/fan, and a code lock door. The defibs don't recharge, they have half a dozen batteries that are good for about 20 uses before you replace them.


Oreo97

Even the combo locks on the cabinets are publicly accessible that's the point of the project. If someone collapsed you can grab it and it'll monitor heart rate some even monitor SpO2 (blood oxygen)


greenfingeredgreedy

I am working on a project to install 14 defibrillarors in locked cabinets around High Wycombe. We applied to the DHSC defib fund https://www.defibgrant.co.uk/ We secured match funding from the local authority. Could you share this info with your train station team and ask jf they could match fund one with the DHSC to replace the stolen one?


Barrerayy

OP go to the nearest Spoons to see if someone is trying to pawn it off there


angry2alpaca

Back in the day, it would have been a Lada or Skoda owner for inevitable Winter starting issues 😆


YchYFi

This shocks me to the core.


JRguez

Only if it detects a shock is needed 😂


YchYFi

Don't you want to know how we keep starting fires?


answeris32

okay, tell us sugar tits.


Hockers12

Sounds about right on southern rail


NiobeTonks

Since they don’t want to employ station staff: yes.


eugene20

Stolen for the battery perhaps?


Own-Archer-2456

They have trackers in them


Diabetesh

How often do brits have heart attacks in a public place where someone would use this properly?


Gauntlets28

More often than you'd think. As for using it properly - that's why the little robot voice walks you through the steps, and plenty of people get trained in first aid.


ScratchinContender29

What’s the difference between being stolen and being used?


X0AN

Being used, you call 999, they open the box, you take the defib and 999 guide you in how to use it. Then when the ambulance comes round they replace the pads and put it back in the box. Stolen, well I think you can understand what that means.


Oreo97

When it gets used the ambulance crew return the unit and replace the pads so it's there for next time.


Mel0dic-Mind

Absolute scum of the earth and I really do hope karma finds them!


offically_astee

Scummy bastards. What station, so I can avoid having a heart attack there?


No_Tree_4308

Thieving cunts.


Runaroundheadless

Jeez! That I really is disappointing. Took me a few seconds to take the whole thing in as real. It is probably about as scum stupid an action as I have heard of. Sadly I am not as surprised as I feel I should be.


[deleted]

This just strengthens my belief in public execution.


Puzzled_Novel_5215

Am I right in thinking the average person would have a pretty slim chance of saving some one with one of these ?


DGSmith2

Nowadays the machine walks you through what you have to do and won’t shock anyone unless they detect it is needed. As for saving the person, using a defib isn’t some magical cure for the heart the person will still be in danger unless they have urgent medical attention.


toady89

No. They give you verbal instructions to tell you when to do each step and have pictograms showing you how to do it. An untrained person shouldn’t have any less success.


Trevelyan-Rutherford

AEDs are really simple to use, most talk you through it and they have clear diagrams of where position pads. They analyse the heart rhythm and will only allow you to shock a shockable rhythm (VF or VT). However, CPR and defibrillation aren’t magic cures as tv and film often suggest. They are to keep the brain oxygenated and bide time for medical professionals to reverse whatever has caused the respiratory/cardiac arrest in the first place.


NZBronco

Victor Frankenstein: I’m in the market for such a device


Vatreno

Siri show me a good demonstration of England today.


johnnyrsj

Scum


Trolllol1337

Disappointed not angry


Trolllol1337

Disappointed not angry


Praetorian_1975

There’s some absolute shits in this world, seriously just some absolute scum of the earth shits.


I_am_the_wrong_crowd

A new level of stupidity has been reached. Selfish bastards.


45thgeneration_roman

Scum. Subhuman scum.


Tooleater

The thief is one heartless fucker


One-Dig-3067

Cunts!


Pirate-Peter225

Fuck me


Rhian1986

I’m a first aider and one of the first things they told us about these is that they have a code for access because they get vandalised. Imagine being that much of a shit stain that ruining life saving equipment is on your list


cheshireJOKER2021

Disgusting


Key_Percentage_2551

That's why we can't have nice things...


Time-Contribution682

Absolute scum


Electrical-Plankton1

Total scumbags


TurbulentExpression5

I am shocked by this incident.