Town’s defibrillator finds home in kiosk

Town’s defibrillator finds home in kiosk

11 June 2014

A DOWNPATRICK telephone kiosk is to play a crucial role in helping save lives.

As a result of a new initiative being spearheaded by the local Lions Club and business community — supported by the Red Cross and BT — a lifesaving defibrillator is now available in Market Street 24 hours a day.

It’s the third lifesaving device the Lions Club has helped provide. Others are in the Asda store at the Ballydugan Road and the Down County Museum and plans are being drawn for a fourth.

Last Friday, a defibrillator was moved from a temporary location at Gordons Chemist to the former kiosk to provide around-the-clock access to the lifesaving equipment.

The device is used to provide emergency medical assistance to people who have had a cardiac arrest by delivering a small electric shock to help restart the heart.

The Lions Club, supported by local businesses and the community, raised several thousand pounds to provide the devices and supported the Red Cross to deliver special training on how to use the equipment. Forty people have been trained.

Lions Club official, Seamus McMullan, said the organisation is grateful for the support it has received from the public and business community to provide the defibrillators.

“We are delighted to see this defibrillator move to a location which provides excellent public access and are very grateful for the fundraising support we have received from so many people in the town,” he said.

“From the staff at Asda, to BT, Gordons Chemist, Hair Graduates and all our members, everyone pitched in to make this a success and, ultimately, make Downpatrick a more resilient town,” he continued. The ongoing maintenance costs of keeping the defibrillator ready for use will be covered by Down Council, much to the delight of the organisation’s chairman, Billy Walker, who extended his gratitude to BT, the Red Cross, Downpatrick Lions Club and everyone else whose work has resulted in a “fantastic new use” of a former phone box.

Paula Powell, from the Red Cross, said the organisation has had “huge interest” in community defibrillators since the first one was launched in a BT phone box in Crossgar last year.

“We are really pleased to see the Downpatrick project come to fruition and of course while the defibrillator is key, the other vital component has been the first aid training as this is what gives ordinary people, rather than medical professionals, the confidence to act when facing an emergency situation,” she added,

Gareth McWilliams, BT’s general manager for Business Operations, said the organisation’s “adopt a kiosk” scheme has been a success and captured the imagination of many people since it was introduced six years ago.

He added: “It’s especially rewarding to see a rarely used kiosk put to such good use in Downpatrick. Over the years, many people have said their local phone box was a lifeline. Now that most people have access to a phone at home or a mobile that may no longer be true, but a kiosk fitted with defibrillator equipment is a genuine asset to a community and could be a real lifesaver in the future.”