A life-saving defibrillator will be located at the Burnavon Arts & Cultural Centre in Cookstown as part of an initiative to help save the lives of heart attack victims.

A further defibrillator will be located at the Mid-Ulster Sports Arena in the town.

The Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) have been supplied by the Cormac Trust which was set up in memory of Tyrone GAA captain Cormac McAnallen who died suddenly because of a heart condition in 2004.

The defibrillators are already available to a range of sports clubs across Tyrone, and in expansion to the scheme, defibrillators are now being installed in town centres throughout Tyrone so they can be accessed seven days a week by volunteers. The initiative is by Cookstown District Council in partnership with the Cormac Trust and the Health Action Zone.

Cookstown District Council and Cookstown Town Centre Forum are seeking volunteers from local businesses in Cookstown town centre to train in the ise of the AED to use in the event of a cardiac arrest occurring in the town centre.

“A patient’s chance of survival reduces every minute that passes, meaning that a defibrillator clost at hand could make all the difference, particularly in a busy town centre such as Cookstown,” said Chairman of Cookstown District Council, Cllr Pearse McAleer.

He said that Cookstown District Council is extremely pleased to be part of the initiative.

“I would encourage volunteers from the business community in the town centre to come forward and be trained in the use of the AED,” he said.

Three to four hours’ training is required to become competent in the use of AED, which involves a range of CRP, basic life support and defibrillator training. A refresher course is also required every 12-24 months. Training involved will incur no cost to volunteer businesses.

Terry Scullion, Cookstown Town Strategy Manager said: “As many as one in five people who have a cardiac arrest do so in a public place and therefore stand to benefit from the ‘Defibrillators in the Community’ programme.

“I would encourage business owners in Cookstown, particularly those in close proximity to the Burnavon Arts & Cultural Centre who want to become a volunteer to contact me.”

(Tyrone Courier, 8 November 2006)

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