Converted Telephone Booths Used As Defibrillators
In the UK, we have a number of red telephone booths. Some of these have been converted into free libraries or other things. Some even house a defibrillator. These are usually in little villages.
The red telephone booth is a British cultural icon, and some of the designs do have a historic value.
With these public access defibrillators, anyone can use them - absolutely no training required. As I understand it, and I could be wrong here, the public access defibs can be removed from their location and taken to wherever they're needed.
British Heart Foundation even have a page about public access defibs.
https://www.bhf.org.uk/how-you-can-help/how-to-save-a-life/defibrillators
My question is, as they're publicly accessible and can be used by any member of the general public, would the ones that are housed in the red telephone booths be classified as blocking emergency services if the booth itself was submitted?
Best Answers
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PoMaQue-PGO Posts: 252 ✭✭✭✭
I follow the fire hydrant logic for those. They may be public, but they are meant to be used in case of emergencies, so you wouldn't want any crowds gathering around them in case you need them.
Doesn't matter if you are nominating the defibrillator or the phone booth, since once is inside the other, they should be treated as the same thing.
Those that house public libraries etc would be 5*.
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NMEofDeState-PGO Posts: 10 ✭✭
The old blue police phone boxes of the 1930s have all gone, but outside Earl's Court tube station in London you'll find one that was built in the 1990s as a mini-base for a local 'bobby' (police officer on the beat). Here you are... =D https://www.ianvisits.co.uk/blog/2019/10/23/the-story-behind-the-earls-court-tardis/amp/
But re the OP's question, given the cult status of surviving traditional red phone boxes in the UK, repurposed boxes are doubly significant - both for their cultural/historical significance as phone boxes and for their cultural/community status in their new second lives. And if the phone boxes you're talking about are early examples (the Gilbert Scott "K2" design), they're ALL now Grade-II listed structures. Here's an article that explains the significance of traditional red phone boxes in the UK very well.
Btw, I think the 'defibrillator/emergency access' point is a red herring - it's not comparable to a fire hydrant for two important reasons. Firstly, emergency services wouldn't ever need to use a public-access defibrillator as they all carry their own. Secondly, a defibrillator is a portable device. To use it, you pick it up and take it away from where it's being stored. No one 'standing around' is going to be in the way of an emergency situation.
Answers
I think you have answered your own question in your post about life guard towers.
I was under the impression they were acceptable as it's the booth that's being submitted, not the defibrillator.
By the "logic" used for hydrants, they're in-eligible as we can't risk possibly interfering with EMS ever.
But a more reasonable view of the world says they're done as long as the booth otherwise meets criteria.
I'm not asking if the defibs are eligible. I'm asking if the actual box or booth itself would be eligible if they house a public access defib.
Given that the public access defibs are used by the general public, this does leave reviewers split on opinion over the booths, hence my asking.
The hydrants I can understand since it's actual emergency service personnel that would be using them.
These converted phone booths that house defibs are more for use by the general public, as opposed to emergency services
That's what I was thinking but obviously the community is split on them, so im curious to as what NIA would say about them
All the more reason then. Fire fighters and other emergency personnel convey authority. If a group of players is standing around and an EMS person asks them to move you can bet they will. If it's some random person? Not as likely.
To be clear, I think this is nuts and of course people can be reasonable about interacting with these locations. But by the reasoning presented, I fail to see how these locations can be eligible.
These are tricky, and my submission strategy would involve carefully looking for another nearby, less controversial object.
On another note, please tell me that there is a Blue phone booth somewhere in England named "The Tardis."
I know there's some blue phone booths in Leeds. To as whether they're a wayspot or not is completely different matter.
I agree that these are tricky because essentially the telephone box itself could meet criteria based on a historic or cultural value but the public access defib inside complicates matters.
Prime example right here - the box is essentially retaining most of its design, including the Tudor crown at the top, but obviously it states that there is a defib inside.
This particular design is a K6, and was designed to celebrate the silver jubilee of King George V in 1935.
Generally though, these repurposed ones that house defibs reside in little villages.
So, someone input from NIA here would be useful.
(Also, I am aware of the noticeboard to the side of the photo)
Doesn't meet criteria in my opinion. The chance of it being a problem should out way the need of a pokestop or portal.
There are several in fact in Glasgow we have tardis, red tardis ad green tardis lol.
I follow the fire hydrant logic for those. They may be public, but they are meant to be used in case of emergencies, so you wouldn't want any crowds gathering around them in case you need them.
Doesn't matter if you are nominating the defibrillator or the phone booth, since once is inside the other, they should be treated as the same thing.
Those that house public libraries etc would be 5*.
The old blue police phone boxes of the 1930s have all gone, but outside Earl's Court tube station in London you'll find one that was built in the 1990s as a mini-base for a local 'bobby' (police officer on the beat). Here you are... =D https://www.ianvisits.co.uk/blog/2019/10/23/the-story-behind-the-earls-court-tardis/amp/
But re the OP's question, given the cult status of surviving traditional red phone boxes in the UK, repurposed boxes are doubly significant - both for their cultural/historical significance as phone boxes and for their cultural/community status in their new second lives. And if the phone boxes you're talking about are early examples (the Gilbert Scott "K2" design), they're ALL now Grade-II listed structures. Here's an article that explains the significance of traditional red phone boxes in the UK very well.
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2019/aug/27/ringing-the-changes-how-britains-red-phone-boxes-are-being-given-new-life
Btw, I think the 'defibrillator/emergency access' point is a red herring - it's not comparable to a fire hydrant for two important reasons. Firstly, emergency services wouldn't ever need to use a public-access defibrillator as they all carry their own. Secondly, a defibrillator is a portable device. To use it, you pick it up and take it away from where it's being stored. No one 'standing around' is going to be in the way of an emergency situation.
It's part of an emergency response all be it not used by the emergency services. It is there to save lives.
It probably takes 15min for an ambulance to reach most call outs if you are lucky. Being able to access these as quickly as possible will save lives.
Is it really that important to risk the valuable minutes to restart someones heart moving people for another pokestop just because its an old phone box?
I cant believe this is even being discussed.
I'm asking because I see a lot on Wayfarer and some that have been approved and given that they're not used by emergency services, there is a lot of division in the Wayfarer community over them.
But y'know, kudos for thinking it's about MoAr PoKeStOpZ and adding to the Ingress v PoGo arguments that happen on these forums all the time.
You see defibrillators not ones in post boxes so you was hoping they would still be accepted. I'm guessing one is local. I have seen no division on them they are there to save lives.
I couldn't care less if it's for stops or portals it's part of an emergency response "y'know" when someone has had a heart attack.
Actually, no. The two telephone boxes local to me are still functioning telephone boxes. One is listed and already a wayspot. The other is in proximity of two other wayspots. But sure, keep making assumptions about what's local to me and why I'm asking these things, when in actual fact I'm asking because I think it's something that needs input from NIA to stop the endless arguments. Just look in the Facebook groups, there's plenty of people for and against them. Personally, I skip them when I come across them on Wayfarer.
@NianticCasey-ING would it be possible to have some input, I agree with @NorthSeaPoet-ING in that I see constant debates on them, so might be good to get some weight behind one argument or another
It's the fire hydrant all over again. It is there to save lives as an emergency response.