Village defibrillator now accessible 24/7

By timesecholife on in All News, Community News

A PARISH council in the Moorlands has transformed a former phone box kiosk into a defibrillator station, meaning community members now have 24-seven access to the life saving equipment. Kingsley Parish Council recently revealed the re-location of the defibrillator from the Railway Inn in Froghall to the former BT kiosk, which is adjacent to the A52 at Froghall Bridge. A defibrillator is a piece of life-saving apparatus that sends electric currents into a person's chest in an attempt to restart or amend the rhythm of the heart in the event of a medical emergency such as a cardiac arrest.

An initiative launched by West Midlands Ambulance Service (WMAS) encouraged rural communities to promote defibrillators in non-urban areas by providing the piece of medical apparatus if community members raised funding to build the cabinets it would be stored in.

Councillor Ken Unwin, chair of Kingsley Parish Council, told the Times and Echo that the parish council decided to take on the defibrillators at Kingsley, Kingsley Holt and Froghall last year.

He said: “About 12 to 18 months ago Kingsley Parish Council decided to take responsibility for the defibrillators at Kingsley, Kingsley Holt and Froghall.

“The Froghall defibrillator was formerly kept at The Railway Inn, which was better than not having one in the village but not ideal as the pub is not always open.

“We were always troubled about the lack of 24-seven accessibility to the Froghall defibrillator.

“We adopted the kiosk as a good home for it.

“A few months ago Kingsley Parish Council purchased a defibrillator cabinet out of this year’s budget.

“The cabinet was fitted in the kiosk about three or four months ago.

“There is now 24-seven access if the defibrillator is required in an emergency.

“The cabinet access code is provided by WMAS Control Room following an emergency call.”

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