Learn How To Help Save a Life

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

This follows the recent installation by the Town council of three Public Access Defabrillator (PAD) units outside the Police Station in George Street, the NHS Surgery in Vicarage Field and Chandler’s BMW in Diplocks Way, all of which are now available for emergency use, 24/7, for the people of Hailsham.

The PAD units are designed for use by the untrained member of the public but Hailsham Town Council have arranged familiarisation sessions to show the local community about their use.

The date, time and venue for the familiarisation sessions will be announced in the coming weeks and published on the Town Council’s public noticeboards, via social media and on this website.

Town and District Councillor Chriss Triandafyllou who, alongside current Town Mayor Councillor Nigel Coltman and former Mayor Councillor Jo Bentley, contributed to the funding of the recently installed PAD units, encourages people to register their interest in learning how easy the defibrillators are to use and how easy it is to save a life with them.

Councillor Triandafyllou said: “Public Access Defibrillators can be the key to saving a life if we can get them to the patient within the first few minutes following a cardiac arrest, lives can be saved as a result.”

“The units are simple to use and the familiarisation sessions given by the local First Responders give you the confidence to use them as you never know when they will be needed.”

“Being able to use the defibrillator in an emergency is very rewarding as people are so grateful to receive help and you could directly help to save a life.”

“I would encourage anyone who may be interested to register and come along to one of the sessions being held in the near future.”

Statistically each year, there are over 1,000 out of hospital cardiac arrests in Sussex each year (a fifth happen outside the home) and with survival rates of just 5-10% compared to places like Scandinavia or North America where PAD sites are common where survival is 20% or higher having more defibrillators available could help double the UK average.

If someone collapses with a cardiac arrest, anyone calling 999 will be told where the nearest defibrillator machine is located and will be given a key-code so that vital treatment can begin straight away.