A true emergency service

As part of its “adopt a kiosk” scheme, BT has seen its disused red telephone boxes turned into
everything from book exchanges and information points to art galleries and even into a pub. Now,
from Glendaruel in Argyll comes arguably the best idea yet. Its phone box has been fitted with life
saving equipment which can be used in the case of cardiac arrest.

The defibrillator was installed by Community Heartbeat Trust, a charity which provides defibrillation
equipment for use by local communities. With treatment recommended within 5 minutes of a
heart episode many rural communities are too far away from emergency help, turning communal
defibrillators literally into a lifeline.

The decision by BT to allow communities to adopt disused kiosks allows the community to retain
its iconic red telephone box whilst saving BT £800 in maintenance costs each year. With the rise in
home telephone use and then mobiles, the number of calls from pay phones has fallen by 80% in the
last five years with 64% of kiosks running at a loss.

When first installed, pay phones were a lifeline for the community. Being able to chat with those
who lived outside your immediate area opened up whole new lines of communication as well as
opening eyes to the possibilities of moving away from home and yet staying in touch by a more
immediate means than simply writing letters . Most importantly, the pay phone allowed us to
summon help when required.

Nowadays, we take this ability to call for immediate help for granted just as we expect to be able
to pick up a phone and instantly connect with colleagues and friends anywhere in the world.
The advent of internet telephoning (VoIP) has finished what the telephone box started and
brought cheap international telephone calls to all. This in turn has enabled businesses to open up
international markets, calling Spain or calling China as easily as nipping next door for a chat.

Whilst e-mail and broadband are nipping at the heels of the telephone, at the end of the day they
are no substitute for sheer speed of contact as well as the certain knowledge that the call has been
answered and a dialogue established. The telephone is still the medium of choice when calling for
emergency help and will be for some time to come. In the meantime, initiatives such as the use of
old kiosks for emergency defibrillators are thought provoking and inspiring.