1 September 2011

Please note: this news article is in our archive. Articles were correct at time of publication, but should not be relied on for accuracy after the passage of time.

THE Town Council is to thank the South East Coast Ambulance service for providing East Grinstead volunteers with training in the use of defibrillators.

The town’s two life-saving machines were bought in 2009 by Deputy Mayor Liz Bennett who persuaded her fellow councilors then representing Ashplats, that there was no better use for their ward budget.

Since then a number of volunteers have been trained in their use by the ambulance service, and the machines have been used on 27 occasions, of which 18 involved people with chest pains, and four with cardiac arrest.

Sadly, says, Liz, no lives have actually been saved yet, but at least families could grieve knowing that everything which could possibly have been done, was.

”Ambulances can take up to nine minutes to reach someone who is suspected of having a heart attack, and we know that every minute’s delay after the first two or three minutes makes the likely outcome less positive.”

But members of the trained local responders team – who include Hannah Kester, the manager of Chequer Mead theatre – can usually reach a patient and start treatment while the ambulance is still on its way.

“These machines are amazing,” said Liz. “Even someone who hasn’t received any training can use one, as they talk you through every step. You can’t move on to the next one until you have done each stage properly and you can’t shock someone whose heart is still beating.”

It is hoped that eventually defibrillators will be as common as fire extinguishers, but in the meantime Liz is delighted to see how successful the local scheme has already been.

“I can’t think of anything more important to spend money on than saving a life,” she said. “This is a fantastic and very worthwhile project.”