Additional Defibrillator Units for Hailsham Residents

Two new Public Access Defibrillators have been installed outside Hailsham Library in Western Road and Hailsham East Community Centre in Vega Close, both of which are now available for emergency use, 24/7, for local residents.

This follows the installation of Public Access Defibrillator (PAD) units earlier this year, located outside Hailsham Police Station in George Street, the NHS Surgery in Vicarage Field and Chandler’s BMW in Diplocks Way, a welcome boost in the campaign by local councillors to make life-saving PAD units available outside key buildings across the town.

The money needed for the purchase of the first three PAD units was received via Wealden District Council’s ‘Community Dividend’ fund, from which town and district councillors Chriss Triandafyllou and Nigel Coltman (current Town Mayor) and former Mayor Jo Bentley awarded their individual dividend money to Hailsham Town Council’s defibrillator project budget.

The Town Council agreed to support the campaign further by covering the shortfall required for the installation of the PAD units, including heated and secured cabinets.

Further money was allocated by the Town Council for the installation of the two additional units outside Hailsham Library and Hailsham East Community Centre, and by a grant from Wealden District Council.

Day-to-day maintenance of the PAD units – which are locked in cabinets and accessed by obtaining a code by calling 999 – will be carried out by the Town Council.

Town and district councillor Chriss Triandafyllou said: “We are pleased to have been able to fund this additional community access defibrillator which, whilst we hope it is never needed, could potentially save lives. We’d like to thank Hailsham Library for their permission to house the unit in this key location.”

Town Clerk John Harrison commented: “Having quick access to a PAD unit means that immediate life-saving care can be provided during emergency situations such as cardiac arrest, in the vital minutes before the ambulance arrives.”

“The defibrillator scheme carried out by town and district councillors has been a success all round, will improve community resilience by making life-saving equipment available to the public and has allowed Hailsham Town Council to contribute to the wellbeing of its local community.”

Hailsham Town Council will be organising free familiarisation sessions in the near future in partnership with Eastbourne Area Community First Responders on the use of defibrillators and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). Full details will be announced soon.