Firefighters wearing full kit will walk miles on Sunday (September 4) to raise funds for a life-saving defibrillator for Ottery St Mary.
The on-call crew, based in Canaan Way, Ottery, are gearing up to walk a 10-kilometre route around the town, to pay for a community defibrillator for public use – to be fitted outside the fire station.
The firefighters are determined to make the town a safer place for residents and visitors.
The crew has set a £1,000 target to buy the equipment, and has opened an online Crowdfunding page for donations.
The firefighters hope the walk – while wearing full kit and breathing apparatus – will highlight how a fast response to medical emergencies can save lives.
The new defibrillator will be installed on the outside of the building, with 24-hour community access to the life-saving equipment.
The location was chosen due to the close proximity to the town centre, allowing ‘maximum coverage’ for Ottery.
Adam Harris, crew manager at Ottery fire station, said the community defibrillator can be used by local residents and visitors, to save lives.
He said: “We know everyone is feeling the pinch right now but if you can spare even a few pounds to donate towards this cause, it will go a long way to helping us achieve our goal of installing this life-saving equipment.”
Mr Harris added: “Part of being on a community fire station is taking a proactive approach to make it a safer place for both residents and visitors to the town.
“As a crew we decided to fundraise for a public access defibrillator earlier this year as we felt that, given the location of the station and its proximity to the centre of the town, it offers excellent access for anyone who may need immediate medical assistance and the use of a defibrillator.
“The excellent thing about this equipment is you don’t require any prior training to use it.
“The defibrillator will guide you through with step-by-step instructions to give that person the best chance at survival – meaning anyone can quite literally save a life.”
The crew will be setting off from the town’s fire station at 10am, walking a route around Ottery, finishing back at Canaan Way at lunchtime.
Mr Harris said: “To raise the funds we have decided to challenge ourselves with a 10km walk wearing full fire kit while carrying our breathing apparatus sets in and around Ottery St Mary.
“In doing so we hope to engage the local community and to raise awareness for the need for quick action in a medical emergency, as well as raising the funds required to purchase and install the defibrillator.
“We are already over 60 per cent of the way to reaching our goal of £1,000 and hope to reach that goal on Sunday.”
He added: “Defibrillators are life-saving pieces if equipment that can be the difference between life and death in a cardiac emergency.
“Any and all donations are massively appreciated and will be going towards a great cause which way potentially save a life.”
The fire crew said any excess funds raised would be split equally and donated to The Fire Fighters Charity and The British Heart Foundation.
“We have raised an incredible amount of money so far. However, we still need more donations to reach our goal,” said Mr Harris. “If you have donated already, thank you, but if you haven’t, please consider even a small donation towards this fantastic cause.”
Based on a recent study, the survival rate for patients suffering a cardiac arrest was 90 per cent for those who received their first defibrillation within one minute after collapse.
Mr Harris said: “This shows how important fast action and access to a defibrillator is and the difference it can make.”
- To donate to the fire station’s defibrillator fund see here.
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