A BUS driver from Cadbury Heath is giving up his time to make sure Bristol has a good network of working lifesaving devices.
Carlos Santos has set up BristolResus4All, a not-for-profit community-led initiative to install defibrillators and bleed kits, make sure they are working and train people to use them.
His mission follows the death of a colleague in Bristol last year.
He said: “BristolResus4All was born out of a deep commitment to making our community safer. The tragic loss of a fellow bus driver just before Christmas 2024 due to a sudden cardiac arrest in Bristol city centre reinforced the urgent need for accessible defibrillators and CPR training. People want to help in an emergency but don’t have the knowledge or resources to act effectively.”
Having worked as a bus driver for 18 years, and as a Special Police Constable before that, Carlos has seen firsthand how quickly medical emergencies can unfold. In order to raise awareness and funding for defibrillators and bleed kits, BristolResus4All engages with local businesses and councils, organises fundraisers, and reaches out to the public to showcase why these resources are essential.
Carlos said: “We’ve worked hard to build relationships and ensure these life-saving tools are accessible 24/7. Encouraging people to get trained is another focus for BristolResus4All. While the idea of performing CPR or using a defibrillator can feel intimidating, BristolResus4All helps to break down those barriers by offering practical, hands-on training in a supportive environment.”
In a collaboration with First Bus drivers in Bristol and West of England, BristolResus4All raised funds for a defibrillator. Simon Brookes, another tireless volunteers who runs Defibs4Bristol, provided help to secure the defibrillator in a locked cabinet. The lifesaving device is due to be installed at Turtle Bay on the Centre.
Carlos said BristolResus4All not only ensures that defibrillators are installed but also properly maintained and ready to use. He has found that in some cases, defibrillators are left unattended for so long that they are marked as unavailable on the national defibrillator network The Circuit, part of the British Heart Foundation. To address this, BristolResus4All is committed to ensuring that every defibrillator it helps install or get back on track stays in working order, registered, and ready to save lives.
Carlos said: “By addressing these challenges, we’re making sure that defibrillators aren’t just out there, but are actually functional and accessible in an emergency. Just in Keynsham, Longwell Green, Cadbury Heath, Hanham and Kingswood we managed to get 15 public access defibrillators back to emergency-ready status. These had been marked as unavailable due to a variety of reasons. In some cases, the guardians were not aware they needed to check the devices or log into the circuit account to update the status of the defibrillator. Other times, the pads and batteries had expired or the locked boxes containing them ran out of battery, which made it impossible to access them in an emergency.”
To tackle this, BristolResus4All has been working to:
• Identify and reclaim abandoned defibrillators by locating devices that have been neglected and working with local businesses or organisations to bring them back into service;
• Ensure regular checks and upkeep, helping to establish clear responsibility for each device, ensuring pads and batteries are replaced when needed;
• Raise awareness about the importance of maintaining defibrillators.
Ongoing collaboration with Defibs4Bristol focuses on installing more public-access defibrillators, creating a robust citywide network and providing CPR for the community.
Carlos said: “Bristol Resus4All’s and Defibs4Bristol’s goal is to ensure that no one in Bristol is more than 3–5 minutes away from a publicly accessible defibrillator.
To report a defibrillator that requires maintenance, you can contact BristolResus4All directly at BristolResus4All@gmail.com. To make a donation visit https://shorturl.at/bsg6S