New defibrillator installed at Coggeshall Fire Station

Coggeshall residents have received lifesaving training on a newly installed defibrillator at Coggeshall Fire Station.  

Coggeshall Fire Station hosted CPR training alongside colleagues from the East of England Ambulance Service. 

Firefighter Paul Shearman organised the four-hour event on Saturday (30 November), which was attended by more than 40 members of the public. 

They were shown how to carry out CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) and use a defibrillator if someone's heart stops. 

Paul said: "We're recently got a new defibrillator installed on the front of our fire station and we thought it would be a nice idea to get as many people as possible in the community to have training in basic life support and using the defibrillator. 

"We've worked alongside colleagues from the Braintree Community First Responders and they have come down to give free training to members of the public to build confidence in the use of a defibrillator. 

"We had well over 40 people through the door and we've had all sorts of ages; from children as young as five or six all the way through up to people 60-plus years old, proving that anyone can do it. 

“It's really important training. If someone goes into cardiac arrest, their chance of survival without hospital care rises by 70%. Getting someone to deliver that basic care is potentially lifesaving.”  

Visit the British Heart Foundation website for an article and video on understanding defibrillators - what they are and how to use them.