Today, we are urging other councils across the UK – particularly those in rural areas to consider doing the same
04/05/26 – In a pioneering project, life-saving defibrillators have been fitted to all bin collection lorries in the East Riding. Refuse crew member Andrew Fowler with a portable defibrillator in his cab(Image: East Riding of Yorkshire Council)
An East Yorkshire binman is coming to terms with the fact he is a “bit of a trailblazer” for a simple but potentially lifesaving scheme. Andy Fowler has been a driver and collector on the county’s bin lorries for a number of years.
He says he is used to, and enjoys, the challenges that the day-to-day of his rounds bring to his life. Now there is a brand-new facet to his shifts that might just make a massive difference to someone else’s.
Andy and fellow crew members across the East Riding’s fleet of 80 refuse trucks will all soon be carrying a portable defibrillator – a machine that uses an electric shock to the heart during cardiac arrest – in the cab as a matter of course. The scheme, announced earlier this year, is thought to be the first of its kind in the UK – and today, we are urging more councils, particularly those in more rural areas, to consider following in their footsteps.
Andy said: “It feels quite good to be a bit of a trailblazer, a bit of a pioneer for this.” He said it was a welcome extension to the public service they already provided.
“When you’re out in the holidays, you’ll get a lot of kids coming up to the windows and saying hello. You’ll bip your horn, give them a wave and it makes them smile – it’s about being part of the community.
“There have been situations where we’ve been able to help the public, stuff like helping elderly people who have fallen over. We went to help one old guy who had fallen at Hornsea after he had gone to put his bin out.
“Some people might be out at 6am putting out their bin. It can be cold, they have a fall and you don’t know long they have been there.
“So, this man, we got him back inside and got him a cup of tea and wrapped him in a blanket, before someone could come to be with him. With having the defibrillators, it’s just an extra thing that’s available if someone needs it.
“We’re out in the rural areas a lot and obviously you can have static defibrillators on farms – but a farmer isn’t always in a farmyard; they could be a few miles or so away. When time is of the essence, it’s good to know that we have a defibrillator on board and I think it’s good there is going to be more availability generally – the more the better really.”
The fact that a defibrillator is on board is clearly marked on the bin wagons – and the eye-catching livery is already sparking conversations with the public. “We are out everywhere, everyone can see us, I think it’s just an added extra to everything we do,” Andy said.
The binman said that, hopefully, the machine might not ever be needed by anyone. “If ever it is needed, by a member of the public, or possibly even the emergency services, we’ll have it there.”
Andy said that while crews were being offered training in the use of a defibrillator, the machine “talks you through what you need to do”. As a binman, Andy said he derived “quite a lot of satisfaction” from the job.
“Some people think what you do must be the same all the time but I find there’s always something different every day.” East Riding Council has been able to kit out its entire fleet of refuse trucks with defibrillators, at a cost of £60k, thanks to a grant from the Government to improve road safety and reduce casualties.
The Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) are designed for public use in emergencies while waiting for an ambulance to arrive. AEDS have been proved to increase patient survival rates by more than 70 per cent.
The council partnered with Beverley-based company Act Fast First Aid to secure the defibrillators; the firm is also delivering bespoke training for the bin crews for free. Two of the council’s road safety vehicles have also been fitted with the equipment as they travel across the East Riding.
At the launch of the scheme, Councillor Paul West, the council’s cabinet member for environment and transport, said: “We believe this is the first time in the UK that defibrillators have been fitted to bin lorries and I’m delighted the East Riding is leading the way. Our bin lorries travel thousands of miles on their rounds each week, visiting some of the most rural and remote places in the East Riding, so they are perfect to carry these life-saving devices just in case they are needed.
“I am particularly proud that all our bin crews will play a vital role in this project and will help to enhance our commitment to protecting lives, supporting residents and staff and make our communities safer.”
Hull Live Executive Editor Hannah Corken said: “This is a brilliant scheme. There is nothing more valuable than a life, and today, we are urging other UK councils to consider doing something like this, particularly those in more rural areas where access to static defibrillators might be more difficult in an emergency.”
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