A great use for old telephone boxes

[RussKH]

The iconic red telephone box has been a familiar sight on the streets of Britain since 1926! Officially known as the 'K' series they stand out with their bright red paintwork. Since the 1980's they have been slowly disappearing from our streets being decommissioned as more and more people have mobile phones in their pockets. Today in the UK there are more in private hands (some being used as shower cubicles of all things). But there are still some to be found on the streets.

Public access defibrillator in Grasmere

I spotted this one whilst visiting the lovely Lake District town of Grasmere in Cumbria. It still has the familiar red livery but is now being used to house a defibrillator - what a fantastic use for such an iconic piece of history. This is known as a PAD - PUBLIC ACCESS DEFIBRILLATOR.

So what is a defibrillator used for? A defibrillator is a device that gives a high energy electric shock to the heart through the chest wall to someone who is in cardiac arrest. You shouldn’t be afraid of using a defibrillator if someone has had a cardiac arrest.

There was a suggestion that PADs be shown clearly on Google Maps so that we can be effective in assisting anyone in a medical emergency - what do you think?

[MoniDi]

Hi @RussKH,

To put a PAD - PUBLIC ACCESS DEFIBRILLATOR in a telephone box is something I haven't heard before but I definitely support the idea that PADs should be shown on Google Maps. 

The old phone booths could be used as first-aid equipment storage. 

These iconic boxes should not remain useless!

[BeatrizAguilar]

@RussKH that new use to the iconic  "K" is as brilliant as the red color which the phone booth is painted, now converted into Defibrillator. I agree with you, that useful machine 'must be' marked in google maps.

P.D. I don't know how to use a defibrillator. Is it common to learn in U.K how to operate this kind of machine?

[EmekaUlor]

@RussKH thanks for sharing such important transformation. I guess providing defibrillators must be for good reasons. If it were in my country, I'd suggest they use it for mini libraries in rural areas, where students and borrow books. It would be in parks, gardens and community halls. 

[TorM]

Dear @RussKH,

Yes, PADs should be on Google in my opinion as well. They are such important.

Nice picture and good idea. It looks like that this year I will visit UK and hope to see this as well.

All the best for you! 

[MortenSI]

Hey @RussKH,

Thais is absolutely great! 

It would be such a shame to throw these iconic phone booths out or destroy them, as I feel like they are a part of England.

The initiative of placing publicly accessible defibrillators around cities is a great move, but I always feel like they are very hard to see. If I ever were to need one, I would have to search hard for it, but if they all look like a big red phone booth, it would be much easier.  

Do you know if this one is a rare example, or are they putting up more PAD phone booths else where?  

[Sorbe]

Hi @RussKH,

I do miss these phone boxes quite a lot and the last time I have spotted one of them I was in Berkshire, in a really nice village in the countryside, used like a mini-library. People from the town were bringing there old books still in good conditions in order to be read from others. 

From which part of England are you from? 

[Aruni]

Hi @RussKH,

Thank you for sharing your experience with us. This kind of telephone box, I haven't seen it for a long time. In the past, it was very important for people who were far away from the city. One day I visited Nong Nooch Garden in Thailand. I was very happy to see it as a memorial for people who will have never use it. I can share with you one of my photos for an old telephone box in Thailand.

Caption: A photo of a telephone box in Thailand. (Local Guide @Aruni)

[RussKH]

Hi Beatriz,

These PAD are a common site in the UK and are designed so that the equipment is safe to use and can be readily used by untrained bystanders. Businesses will often teach staff in their use as part of health and safety training.

Russ

[RussKH]

Hi @Sorbe

Yes I have seen them as a mini library too, and a tourist information point and even with a high tech emailing / internet point installed.

I am in the North West of England in Cumbria, close to the Lake District and there are still a few of these boxes around.

Russ