Matching their generosity Safety Technology International have partnered with a community charity to preserve and protect a life-saving donation for when it is needed most.

The Post Office Anglers Society (POAS) is a family fishing club with a long history stretching back to the early 1970s; initially the brainchild of now honorary member David Butt and a fellow group of Post Office Telephone Engineers the Society now has nearly 300 members.

In 2005, the Southend-on-Sea based Society purchased a 4.5 acre site in Sutton, Essex to develop their very own two lake fishery, Beauchamps, to supplement their existing leased fishery. The POAS’ Beauchamps Fishery was recently fortunate enough to receive an automatic electronic defibrillator (AED) donated by the Finish Line Fund.

The AED was to be installed in the fisheries meeting area, a location partially open to the elements and only accessible to members. It was vital, therefore, the new life safety device be properly protected for use in an emergency.

As is customary, the AED operator’s manual offered clear instructions for proper installation and maintenance, including guidance on impact protection, equipment visibility and environmental protection requirements.

Drawing on the life safety expertise of its membership, STI’s AED Protective Cabinet (STI-7531AED) was identified by the POAS and carefully chosen to protect the sophisticated medical device as it exceeded all of the criteria set out by the manufacturer and all with a three-year guarantee.

POAS Member and Fire Safety Professional, Ken Pearce, said: “The POAS contacted STI to discuss the enclosure and its importance in protecting the possibly life-saving AED.

“We were delighted to hear that STI offered to donate the enclosure to the club to safeguard the AED from the elements and allow us to be able to carry out the installation in line with the AED manufacturer’s guidance.”

It was determined the impact-resistant UV-stabilised polycarbonate enclosure could withstand any amount of accidental knocks from fishing equipment and fishery maintenance tools; the clear polycarbonate housing and thumb lock allowing the portable AED to remain both highly visible and easily accessible, vitally important in an emergency.

From the scorching days of the POAS Summer League matches to the chilly Winter League matches fished by the hardiest of fishermen, the typical working properties of -40°C to 121°C greatly exceed the wildest of temperatures expected at the fishery throughout the year – An internal gasket guards against ingress.

Ken added: “The AED Protective Cabinet was installed by a member of the POAS Maintenance Team who found the installation to be extremely straightforward, and was particularly pleased with the supplied wire shelf and steel mounting backplate, which ensured a secure installation – The enclosure was successfully installed in under an hour.

“All members would like to thank STI for this great donation and we can have confidence that the equipment, should it be needed, will be easily accessible and well protected.