Lifesaving equipment installed on town centre
A LIFESAVING defibrillator has been installed in Hinckley town centre thanks to Leicestershire’s Freemasons.
The equipment, which costs more than £1,000, has been fixed on the facade of Hinckley Masonic Hall on St Mary’s Road - a stone’s throw from the busy leisure centre and Crescent development.
It has been purchased by the Leicestershire and Rutland Provincial Grand Lodge of Mark Master Masons.
Philip Briggs, director of Hinckley Masonic Hall, said: “This potentially lifesaving equipment is designed to be easily operated by any member of the public without the need for any training.
“The locked cabinet can be accessed by the public for use in a medical emergency.
“Time in such incidents is often vital in saving a life and locating these units in publicly accessible positions makes this possible.
“After a cardiac arrest, every minute without CPR and defibrillation reduces someone’s chance of survival by 10%.”
Defibrillators are used to deliver an electric shock to the heart when someone is having a cardiac arrest.
It can be used in a medical emergencies by phoning 999 to retrieve a unique code which unlocks the cabinet casing.
Mr Briggs said the Freemasons and East Midlands Ambulance Service plan to organise training sessions for town busi- nesses in the future.
Other defibrillators in the town are located at Hinckley police station on Upper Bond Street and Asda on Barwell Lane.
The Mark Masons are a branch of the Freemasons and currently have a membership of more than 650 based in 16 lodges in Leicestershire and Rutland.
Grandmaster Steven Davison said the group has given an average of £16,500 a year to community projects for the last 10 years.