LIFE-SAVERS in Renfrew have stepped up a bid to register every defibrillator in the town.
At any given moment, someone could take a cardiac arrest and be in vital need of emergency assistance yet it is not clear where the devices are kept.
This means precious time could be lost searching for the nearest defibrillator or waiting on emergency services to arrive.
Now, campaigners have stepped up their bid to create a definitive guide for people in the town and believe it could be the “difference between life and death”.
Keith Matthews, vice-chair of Renfrew Community Council, is leading the campaign and told The Gazette: “If someone has a cardiac arrest, you could be waiting for some time for an ambulance to arrive. But unfortunately there were no defibrillators registered in Renfrew and only three in the whole of Renfrewshire.
“My research shows there are around 14 defibrillators in the town and we have been working since April to register them all.”
READ MORE: 'Vital' defibrillators for all secondary schools in Renfrewshire
The community council are hoping to register all of the devices with the Scottish Ambulance Service so, in the moments following a cardiac arrest, medical experts can direct people towards their nearest defibrillator.
They are often found in community centres, sports facilities, other public places and even places of work.
‘Defibs’ give an electric shock to the heart through the chest wall to someone in cardiac arrest and just this year the council set aside £10,000 to install a device in every secondary school in Renfrewshire.
Mr Matthews added: “It is important to know where you can go and get one in an emergency. Sometimes there could be one just 200m from where you have your heart attack.
“That system falls down if they are not registered and can be the difference between life and death.”
Local councillor Lisa-Marie Hughes is working closely with the campaign and hopes it can make a big difference and wants people to support it.
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She said: “It is a fantastic thing and it literally increases people’s chances to save a life.
“We announced plans to introduce defibrillators into every school in the area and I know the difference it can make.
“I definitely think it is a fantastic campaign.”
If you are a business which has a device and wants to register it, then please visit here.
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