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A new defibrillator has been installed at Delancey Park with the support of the Guernsey Velo Club and local firm Saffery Champness.
The Automated External Defibrillator (AED) has been fitted on the College of Further Education’s building, based next to the park, and will be available, at any time, to the general public in the event of an emergency.
Defibrillators, which deliver a high energy electric shock to the heart to restore a more stable rhythm, allow someone to provide potentially lifesaving help until the emergency services can attend the scene of an incident. Every minute without CPR and defibrillation reduces someone’s chance of survival by 10%. The machines use verbal instructions to guide the user through each step and will not deliver a shock unless it is needed.
Maxine Le Cheminant, child protection officer at the Guernsey Velo Club said: “The Guernsey Velo Club is delighted to have been able to provide an AED unit at Delancey Park with the support of Saffery Champness.
“The park is the Velo Club's only tarmac circuit racing venue and as such we wanted to give something back to the community that we share Delancey Park with.
Nick Batiste, managing director of Saffery Champness, said: “The installation of this equipment could, quite simply, make the difference between life and death.
“Having the defibrillator positioned next to the park and the college will be of great benefit to the local community in and around this area if there is an emergency.”
St Sampson Douzenier Roy Martel, who was instrumental in the sourcing and installation of the AED Cabinet and defibrillator, said that the Douzaine was delighted to be involved in the project: “Delancey Park is a public amenity for use by people from all over the Island which, with its football pitches, children's playground, adult fitness area, lawns bowls green, extreme sports skate park and the presence of the College of Further Education Delancey Campus, means it is an ideal site for a defibrillator.
“We would like to take the opportunity to thank the Guernsey Velo Club and their sponsors for the idea and for funding for the defibrillator, the Guernsey College of Further Education for allowing the Delancey Park Campus site to be used for the installation of the defibrillator and agreeing to provide on-going maintenance and to St Johns Ambulance and Rescue Services for commissioning the defibrillator and adding it to its Island network, which means that its use will be controlled by the joint Emergency Services control centre.”
Other organisations that assisted the Velo Club in reaching its fundraising target of £3,000 included the Admiral de Sausmarez Trust, Butterfield Bank, Waitrose Community Matters, The Rotary Club and X-Ware Ltd and the general public who all helped the Velo Club.
The AED will be continually maintained by the caretakers at the College of Further Education.
