Crowdfunder campaign to install defibrillators

A N a mbit ious pla n to i nsta l l l i fe s a v i n g de f i br i l l ator s in redundant telephone boxes will be launched in Angus today.

Members of Kirriemuir Community Council have set up a crowdfunder campaign in the hope of ringing up £8,000 for four strategically placed defibrillators in and around the town.

After months of negotiations, they purchased telephone boxes in Maryton, Northmuir and Southmuir which will house the equipment, and hope to replace the machine in Reform Street.

Community councillor Heather Kelly said fundraising will be tiered – with the first £2,000 going to the telephone box in Maryton.

She said: “Our campaign aims to raise funds to place defibrillators in the community that will be available 24 hours a day.

“These units will be placed in repurposed phone boxes.

“When someone has a cardiac arrest following a heart attack, their life can be saved if their heart is restarted quickly using an automated external defibrillator (AED).

“The time before using this equipment can be a matter of life and death, and in a rural community, it is vitally important to have accessible equipment available for immediate use.

“The machine gives clear spoken instructions to the user and will not operate unless it detects that an electric shock is required.

“When someone has a cardiac arrest, every minute without CPR and defibrillation reduces their chances of survival by 7-10%.”

The community council bought the phone boxes in the main street in Maryton, beside the Newton in Southmuir and beside the Woody in Northmuir two years ago.