Five defibs on way to town locations

DUNDALK Cardiac First Responders (CFR) scheme has responded to over 250 emergencies over the past year but, as with any new scheme, it takes time to get a voluntary system working seamlessly 24/7, so there have been times when a volunteer was not available to respond to a call out.

To help the community, five public access defibrillators are shortly going to be located in the Dundalk area. All the defibrillators will be registered with the National Ambulance Service and, when needed, a 999 caller can be directed to their location.

Permission has already been secured to place the defibrillators in five locations, allowing constant access and agreement for individual maintenance by Dundalk’s first aider groups.

There will be a defib at Dundalk Garda station, which will be maintained by the Civil Defence. The second one will be located at Aiken Barracks on the Point Road, and will be maintained by the Order of Malta.

There will be third unit at the Lisdoo/Newry Road area, with the Louth CFR committee responsible for maintenance. The Fatima area is also getting a machine, to be maintained by the Dundalk CFR, while the last one will be placed on the exterior of Dundalk Courthouse, with LCFR responsible for it.

The cost of each of the defibs, including secure outdoor container and supplies for the first year is €2,500. For more information, contact Barry Hennessy at 085 1181420 or email: 1barryhennessy@eircom,net.