Steps have been taken to increase the provision of defibrillators across the Causeway Coast and Glens area.
At a meeting of the council’s Corporate Policy and Resources Committee on Tuesday, March 28, a motion was passed for the council to explore the establishment of a defibrillator fund.
This would allow community and sports organisations to apply for funding for the devices.
Proposing the motion, Benbradagh Sinn Fein Councillor Dermot Nicholl said that the British Heart Foundation can part-fund equipment and he believes it is worth exploring if the council can “establish a fund that would support this”.
The motion also states that the council should review and, where appropriate, remedy its provision of defibrillators across its entire public estate to ensure no gaps exist. This will include leisure facilities, council offices, community centres and areas of high public footfall.
In addition, it says the council should undertake a programme of training for staff who have daily contact with the public in the use of defibrillators and CPR.
Cllr Nicholl described defibrillators as “lifesaving equipment” and “something we should be supporting and providing”.
Ballymoney DUP Alderman Alan McLean added: “There’s nothing more important in this life than health. We spend money on a lot of things but nothing is more important than life saving equipment.”
The motion’s push to establish a fund builds on a similar motion, proposed by Cllr Nicholl and passed in 2015, which centred on defibrillator provision and training.
The latest motion was seconded by Glens Sinn Fein Councillor Cara McShane.
Cllr McShane highlighted that when the 2015 motion was passed “no robust plan” was in place to ensure equipment continued to operate correctly. As such, she called for a “robust plan and timeframe” to ensure checks are carried out “frequently” along with training provision.
“It’s having a champion, a person who is responsible within the council,” she said. “It’s not worth having these defibrillators if they’re not checked regularly.”
She also highlighted the need to ensure all defibrillators are registered on the circuit so that the emergency services know where they are located and can direct callers to the nearest one when necessary.
Causeway UUP Alderman Norman Hillis said he “strongly” supported the motion, adding that “there has been plenty of evidence in the past that lives have been saved”.
However he echoed Cllr McShane’s statements, stressing that “it’s all very well having this equipment but it needs to be up to date”.
He said: “It’s not rocket science but it could save lives.”
Similarly, Bann DUP Alderman Michelle Knight-McQuillan described the motion as “very worthwhile” but added: “The only concern I have is that it’s fine putting defibrillators up but it’s the management after that.”
