Defibrillator Vandalism in Desio and Civita Castellana

In the town of Desio, a public defibrillator column was knocked down and left on the ground. The device had previously been used by volunteers from the Italian Red Cross to save a man's life during a cardiac arrest a year earlier, prompting strong reactions on social media.

In Civita Castellana, local councilor Franco Laugeni of the Civita Viva civic list submitted a formal request to the municipal administration to verify the condition of all defibrillators. He highlighted missing units, expired batteries and pads, and called for regular maintenance, training for staff and citizens, and compliance with law 116/2021, which mandates the spread of defibrillators in public spaces. Both incidents underline the importance of functional defibrillators, given that sudden cardiac arrest affects roughly 60,000 people in Italy each year.