Yongsan-gu, Installation of Automated External Defibrillators on Cultural Shuttle Buses

Last Month, 7 Shuttle Buses for Cultural Facilities Equipped with Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs)
Although Installation Is Not Mandatory, It Ensures Safety for Elderly Passengers
Drivers Also Trained in Usage, CPR, and Emergency First Aid

Brain cell damage begins after more than 4 minutes following cardiac arrest, and the likelihood of brain death increases after 6 minutes. Therefore, to improve the survival rate of patients, cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) or an automated external defibrillator (AED) must be used immediately upon discovering a cardiac arrest patient.

Accordingly, Yongsan-gu, Seoul (District Mayor Park Hee-young) has installed automated external defibrillators (AEDs) on seven shuttle buses serving cultural facilities for the safety and lives of its residents.

Last month, AEDs were installed on six shuttle buses operating on six local routes and one spare vehicle. An AED is an emergency device that attaches electric pads to the chest of a cardiac arrest patient and delivers a certain amount of electric shock to restore the heartbeat.

The district focused on the fact that many users of cultural facilities and shuttle buses are elderly, and although installing AEDs on shuttle buses is not mandatory, they were installed to ensure the safety of passengers.

In addition, training was conducted for all drivers to calmly respond in case of unexpected emergencies. The training covered how to use the AED, as well as CPR and emergency first aid.

Park Hee-young, Mayor of Yongsan-gu, said, “Not only passengers but also patients who may occur along the shuttle bus routes can receive emergency treatment using the AEDs installed on the shuttle buses.” He added, “Since these shuttle buses operate throughout the district’s cultural facilities, we expect them to also serve as emergency vehicles in the future.”

Meanwhile, the district has entrusted the operation of cultural facility shuttle buses to the Yongsan-gu Facilities Management Corporation, currently operating six routes with 105 stops. Operating hours are from 8:00 a.m. to 6:10 p.m., with weekends and public holidays off.

Eligible users include residents using health centers and health branches, participants in various programs operated by the district office and each community center’s autonomous hall, and users of cultural, artistic, sports, and educational facilities run by the district.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.