A new life-saving public assess defibrillator has been installed at Bellfield in Portobello.
Funds were raised by Action Porty, the charity which owns and runs Bellfield Community Hub, with support from St John Scotland a charity which dedicates all the work it does towards saving lives.
Action Porty hope the new defibrillator will ensure that locals and visitors to the area have additional access to a device which could help save lives in those crucial moments after a cardiac arrest.
The device is registered on the national defibrillator network, the Circuit, which connects defibrillators to NHS ambulance services across the UK. You can find details of all defibrillators in the UK here www.defibfinder.uk
Local MP Tommy Sheppard performed the ribbon cutting ceremony.
Mr Sheppard said: “A defibrillator can mean the difference between life and death in the critical moments following a cardiac emergency. That’s why I’m really pleased Portobello has another community access defibrillator, which is now installed and ready to use. Huge thanks to Action Porty and everyone involved for their efforts in raising funds for this vital piece of equipment.”
Alan Simpson of Action Porty said: “We decided that we wanted to install a defibrillator for the benefit of not only those using Bellfield but also anyone in the locality.
“There had been a couple of recent incidents. As a first step we contacted St John Scotland who gave us a lot of useful advice on various matters such as the type of device, its location and funding. We raised the required funding fairly quickly thanks to great support from the local community and beyond.
“The defibrillator we have installed is on the exterior of the building so it can be accessed at any time. We are keen to ensure that as many people as possible are aware of not only our defibrillator but also others in the area.
“The next stage is to organise CPR training and St John Scotland are helping us in this regard.”
A spokesperson for St John Scotland added: “Every week, around 70 people in Scotland have a cardiac arrest. For every minute that someone goes without treatment, their chances of survival reduce by 10 per cent. By starting CPR, and using a defibrillator within the first few minutes of collapse, survival rates increase significantly.
“Alongside the unveiling of the defibrillator, volunteers from St John Scotland will help provide bystander CPR training and teach those involved with Bellfield how to use the device.
“However, it is important to know that public access defibrillators can be used by any member of the public in an event of cardiac emergency, even if they have no prior training. Defibrillators are easy to use following a few basic instructions. The unit will only allow a shock if one is required, so you can do no harm when using one.”
