Appeal to raise £400k to upgrade defibrillators

An appeal has been launched to raise £400,000 to replace and upgrade 288 defibrillators to help provide life-saving care.

The South Western Ambulance Charity (SWAC), which covers parts of the west of England, wants to replace the current defibrillators used by local volunteers with new, up-to-date models.

The devices are carried by Community First Responders, who are trained to provide immediate assistance in their local, often rural, communities and can often reach patients before an ambulance arrives.

Zoe Larter, of the charity, said the enhanced defibrillators would provide more clinical information, help guide treatment and offer "crucial additional functionality".

An Automated External Defibrillator, commonly known as a defibrillator, delivers an electric shock to help restore a normal heart rhythm during cardiac arrest.

According to SWAC, for every minute without CPR and defibrillation, a person's chances of survival may decrease by about 10%.

Zoe Larter said when someone suffers a cardiac arrest, "every second really does count".

"Our Community First Responders are trained volunteers who give their time to help people during some of the most critical moments of their lives," she added.

Larter said upgrading the defibrillators would give volunteers access to equipment that works alongside the technology used by ambulance crews, helping to make patient handovers quicker.

The charity is asking members of the public, businesses and community organisations to help raise money for the new defibrillators.

It said fundraising activities could include anything from a marathon to a pub quiz, raffle or bake sale.

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