Vital devices will save lives

POTENTIAL lifesaver: Councillor Alan Roughley with a defibrillator unit

FOUR new sites across Saddleworth have been selected for the introduction of automatic portable, life-saving defibrillators.

The move comes after the North-West Ambulance Service revealed villagers only have a two per cent chance of recovery from a cardiac arrest unless help arrives within eight minutes.

Saddleworth councillors, led by former borough and parish councillor Alan Roughley, have made an agreement with NWAS to supply up to 15 defibrillators in public areas. The first will be installed at the Three Crowns Inn, Scouthead, Denshaw Village Hall, Uppermill Civic Centre and at Tame Valley Tennis Club, Greenfield. The equipment will be in coded boxes in public areas.

Saddleworth North and South borough councillors have already agreed to pay for boxes out of their Saddleworth and Lees district budgets. And Oldham’s director of public health has agreed to meet electrical fitting costs and planning permission agreement for another site on a listed building.

Other sites have been identified but “support guardians” are needed to keep watch on the equipment and the boxes need to be paid for. To date there are no agreements with organisations in other areas of Saddleworth.

Veteran borough councillor Derek Heffernan said: “We hope to announce a full programme very soon, but in the meantime we will start to see this vital equipment installed. We already have some boxes and we are waiting for NWAS to supply the actual defibrillators. If you live in the outer reaches of Saddleworth the arrival of an ambulance will be delayed and this equipment can save lives.”