From The Guardian:
999 service offers first aid via iPod
Bobbie Johnson
Thursday April 20, 2006
The Guardian
It has already been heralded as the saviour of the music industry, but now the iPod could help save your life. Sussex ambulance service yesterday launched a series of audio downloads which guide MP3-player-toting members of the public through emergency first-aid situations.
The step by step guides, which are available free from the service's website, www.sussexambulance.nhs.uk, offer advice on common conditions and are based on scripts used by 999 operators.
The project was the idea of a paramedic, Stuart Rutland, who said that he hoped it might help in an emergency. "I like to go running and listen to music - but what if I turned the corner and somebody had collapsed? I have 11 years of paramedic training, but not everyone will. It's just about what to do in those moments before an ambulance arrives."
The Sussex ambulance service was keen to emphasise that the downloads were not intended to replace conventional first-aid assistance.