Additional Defibrillator Unit for Hailsham

A Public Access Defibrillator is to be installed outside Hailsham Library in Western Road and will be available for emergency use, 24/7, for local residents.

This follows the installation of Public Access Defibrillator (PAD) units last month, 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 three 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 unit outside Hailsham Library, which will become available in the next few days. An additional unit is scheduled to be fitted outside Hailsham East Community Centre in Vega Close in the near future (subject to permission), with the support of an additional grant from Wealden District Council.

Day-to-day maintenance of the PAD units 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.