Residents of a Devon village are set to benefit from a new life-saving defibrillator, thanks to a partnership of organisations led by Gittisham Parish Council.
The defibrillator at the new Hayne Farm development in Gittisham is the third to be installed by the parish council.
It’s the result of a collaboration between developer Baker Estates, Gittisham Parish Council and Sovereign Housing Association.
The defibrillator, located on the front of a communal outbuilding on Longlands Way, is housed in a yellow Community Heartbeat Trust vandal-resistant box and will be registered on the UK-wide defibrillator database. The equipment is accessed by using a keypad and code, which is given by the South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust when a 999 call is made.
The parish council has also produced a leaflet which will be delivered to all the homes within Hayne Farm, explaining where the defibrillator is located and how to use it in the event of an emergency.
Janet Twist, Vice Chair of Gittisham Parish Council, who led the project, said: “When completed, Hayne Farm will be home to hundreds of people, so it’s important to give them access to a device which could save their lives. I would encourage everyone who lives here to familiarise themselves with the defibrillator. It is very easy to use.”
Graham Hutton, Operations Director at Baker Estates said, “We were delighted when Gittisham Parish Council suggested the installation of a defibrillator on our development. We are so impressed with the way that they have embraced the new homes as part of their parish and pleased to have been able to assist with the installation. Upon completion, our development will be home to 291 families, and I am sure they will be greatly reassured by the presence of the defibrillator.”
Will Murphy, Area Development Manager, Sovereign, said, “At Sovereign, we build communities with residents at the heart, and we’re proud to help facilitate the defibrillator at Hayne Farm. This great work of the parish council will offer some extra peace of mind to our residents and, most importantly, could save lives.”
The parish council hopes to provide free taster sessions run by professionally trained first aid instructors, who will show people how to resuscitate somebody suspected of having a cardiac arrest and learn about the importance of defibrillators.
According to the South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust, more than 3,600 people are resuscitated by ambulance staff every year in the region because they suffer a pre-hospital cardiac arrest. For every minute that passes once in cardiac arrest, a person loses a further 10 per cent chance of survival, and with this dramatic loss in chance of survival, there is a need of a defibrillator every 4-5 minutes’ walk. Without doubt this availability would improve cardiac arrest survival rates throughout the South West.