VILLAGERS in Upton Scudamore now have a lifesaving defibrillator behind The Angel Inn, thanks to a drive by the parish council and local ambulance service.
Residents attended a special opening ceremony on 6th September for the community defibrillator, which has been installed in an former phone box.
Local man Ken Welch said, “Parish councillor Sue Mack has been the main driving force for this project, and it is a subject she feels very passionate about.
“Because Upton Scudamore is a small, outlying village, when Sue first proposed the idea of a community defibrillator she quickly gained the approval of the parish council and the full support of the community.
“Working in partnership with Julia Doel, assistant community responder officer for the South West Ambulance Service Foundation Trust (SWASFT), the two have worked tirelessly to bring this project to fruition.
“Many thanks are due to Nigel Charteris of Pears Electrical, the village’s resident electrical contractor, who generously installed the equipment free of charge. A rota system has been organised by Sue whereby villagers will undertake the quick, daily checks on the equipment and, although the defibrillator is very simple to use, training sessions for the villagers are already planned.
“This project has been a great success and the village is extremely grateful to SWASFT, particularly Julia, for their generous support throughout the project. Although everyone hopes that the defibrillator never has to be used, its presence in the centre of the village will bring comfort to the entire community.”
Defibrillators use electrical shocks to restart a person’s heart if they are having a heart attack. If used within three minutes, a patient’s chance of survival could be as high as 70 per cent.
Julia Doel said, “The first few minutes of a cardiac arrest are absolutely crucial, so having this life-saving equipment available while the ambulance is en route gives the patient the best possible chance of survival. The more communities we can support in having their own defibrillator, the better.”
