NEW locations in key areas of Okehampton are being sought to place lifesaving defibrillators.

Businesses who are willing to have units on their outside of their premises are being urged to come forward after concerns that the town centre was lacking this emergency equipment.

Defibrillators give a high energy shock to the heart through the chest to someone who is in cardiac arrest and many communities throughout West Devon have installed them in prominent places so they can be used by members of the public if someone is taken ill.

There are defibrillators at some locations in Okehampton such as Parklands Leisure Centre, the bowling club and Okehampton Primary School but members of Okehampton Chamber of Trade were told last week that five more in the town, where there was a large footfall or people, would be really beneficial both to the local residents and visitors.

Addressing chamber members, first aid trainer and firefighter Joe Rice said the life saving equipment already installed was great for the individual businesses or organisations and the people who used those places but there was a large area of Okehampton including the eastern side of the town which was not covered.

‘When you look at where people live and the footfall of Okehampton it is not really served adequately with defibrillators,’ he said. ‘When someone goes into cardiac arrest time is of the essence. It’s important that defibrillators are somewhere visible and signs are in place to let people know here they are.’

Mr Rice said there was a 2% survival rate for someone in cardiac arrest if no treatment was given in the eight minutes it took for the ambulance, based in Okehampton, to get to the patient . Eight minutes was the target time set by the South West Ambulance Service but this could be delayed if the ambulance was dealing with an incident outside the town.

The survival rate for defibrillators is 50% to 70% if the community responds within eight minutes.

The cost of a defibrillator was between £1,000 and £1,500 and there were all sorts of types, some that were lockable to prevent vandalism with a code needed to get into them, some which lit up at night and some which let off a siren.

Mr Rice said South Zeal had three defibrillators and communities like Highampton, Bridestowe and Lydford all had them in central places.

‘Some parishes are putting them in public phone boxes to retain a use for phone boxes,’ he added. ‘That’s a great idea. One on the town hall and maybe Costcutter on Exeter Road, which would cover a large residential area, would be good.’

Training sessions could be run in the town so as many people as possible felt confident about using a defibrillator although there were instructions included with the equipment, he said.

‘It is easy to use but people often feel more confident if we go through it first,’ said Mr Rice. ‘In Bridestowe 50 people have had a training session on how to use a defibrillator.’

Mr Rice said at the moment the aim was to find businesses who might be willing to have defibillators on the outside of their premises and any fundraising ideas. If you can help contact Mr Rice on 07531 424014.