Friday, March 24, marked a very special occasion for The Garnock Valley First Responders as they launched their first Public Access Defibrillator in Beith town centre.

The Automated External Defibrillator (AED) is located on the wall outside Curves on Kings Road, Beith, and is available 24/7 in the case of an emergency. The aim of this AED is to strengthen the Chain of Survival in Beith. When someone’s heart stops beating, every second counts! Starting CPR early and using a defibrillator greatly increases the chances of that person surviving.

The timing could not be better as the Scottish Ambulance Service has recently launched it’s ‘registration to resuscitation’ campaign. Which means when a defibrillator is registered, if someone calls 999 the ambulance service will know where the nearest defibrillator is. The benefit of this system is explained on the Scottish Ambulance Service website where it states, “Our call handlers may then be able to direct members of the public to a defibrillator … when somebody experiences a cardiac arrest and talk them through action to take”

James Wait, Co-ordinator for the GV First Responders, said: "We’d like to thank everyone who made this possible: Joanna McNeill from Curves Beith for providing us with the fantastic location. The people from Beith, and Beith Parish Church who donated money to pay for the protective cabinet.

"Indeed, it was many months ago when a donation towards a defibrillator was received from Beith Parish Church after an AED awareness session, that the idea of locating an AED in Beith became an intention of the group.

"We will be having a public launch on the May 13 between 11am and 2pm, when we’ll be demonstrating how the AED works, giving advice on effective CPR. There will even be refreshments available for those how need nourishment after practicing their CPR. Also, you can find out how to join us, new volunteers are always welcome, you don’t need any previous experience, we’ll provide you with all the training you need!