The North Luffenham Community Defibrillator has now been installed and is situated at The Fox.

For any medical emergency, first dial 999 (or 112) and ask for ambulance. An emergency ambulance will be dispatched to your address. If a cardiac arrest is suspected, and it is appropriate, the ambulance service will direct you to the defibrillator site and will give the code that opens the cabinet.

Our defibrillator is the latest model and has a video screen and a voice that instructs you how to use it. It obviously helps if you have had training in cardiopulmonary resuscitation and the use of a defibrillator.  An ‘awareness session’ was held some two months ago and a number of villagers attended from which it is hoped a number of volunteers will form a VETS Scheme (Village Emergency Telephone Scheme). The VETS Scheme is activated by the ambulance service, following the 999 call, contacting by phone a volunteer who will respond by bringing the defibrillator to the address required and helping in the resuscitation. Training for the VETS is being arranged and a date will be posted on the website and emailed to those who have expressed an interest at the ‘awareness session’.

For further information please follow the link for the Community HeartBeat Trust: www.comunityheartbeat.org.uk. For further information open the following link:  VETS, or contact Tim Smith using the form below:

North Luffenham is soon to have a community defibrillator and an Awareness Evening will be held in the Community Centre on Monday 8th of September at 7.30pm. A presentation will be given by Martin Fagan of the Community Heartbeat Trust on this potentially life saving equipment and how a community scheme is organised.

You may be thinking about being involved, but are not certain or just interested to know more. It should be an interesting and informative evening so please come along.