A DEFIBRILLATOR has been installed at Kittwhistle Garage in Bridport with help from The British Heart Foundation.

It was installed for the public to use by the Broadwindsor Community Responders and is in addition to the one in the responder vehicle, which, because of diminishing numbers of responders, is unable to attend all local callouts.

A defibrillator is a machine that delivers an electric shock to the heart when someone is having a cardiac arrest.

The British Heart Foundation say when someone goes into cardiac arrest, every minute without CPR and defibrillation reduces their chances of survival by 10 per cent.

Bridport Community Responders co-ordinator Jacqui Sewell said: “Defibrillators are incredibly easy to operate and a free training course run by Red Cross trainer, Phil Lathey, for all interested people, will be held in Blackdown Hall at 7.30pm on July 29.

“A big thank you must go to Rowland Hibbard for allowing the defibrillator to be installed on his premises, to Philip Hardwill of PH Hardwill’s for helping with the installation and finally to Phil Lathey for providing the defibrillator training.”