An automated external defibrillator (AED) can be the difference between life and death.

Every minute without CPR and defibrillation reduces someone's chance of survival by 10%, so it's important you know how to use one for the sake of someone else's life.

And the most convenient thing about them is you don't need training to be able to operate one, and they all function in pretty much the the same way.

Yorkshire Ambulance Service recently launched a life-saving app which locates the 1,288 defibrillators across the county , but how do you use one when called upon?

Yorkshire Ambulance Service is launching a life-saving app which maps all the 1,288 defibrillators across the county

How to use a defibrillator

1. First of all, make sure an ambulance has been called, and if an AED isn't available, give CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) until someone can bring an AED.

2. If an AED is present, switch it on and it will immediately give you a number of visual and verbal prompts informing you of what you should do.

3. Take the pads out of the sealed pack and remove the backing paper, also make sure to remove clothing or anything covering the chest of the victim.

4. Attach the pads to their chest.

5. Place the first pad on their upper right side, just bellow their collarbone.

6. And then place the second pad on their left side, just bellow the armpit.

7. Once you've done that, the AED will then begin to check the heart rhythm. Ensure that no-one is touching the victim and continue to follow the voice or visual prompts that the machine gives until the ambulance arrives.

You can also download an app version that illustrates the nearest publicly accessible defibrillator using the links below.

https://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/save-a-life/id1086609515?mt=8

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=uk.nhs.scas.aed