Huddersfield town centre finally has its first full access defibrillator.

The curate at Huddersfield Parish Church, the Rev Simon Crook, helped raise £2,000 to have the life-saving machine installed on the side of the church in Byram Street.

The 44-year-old father-of-three was shocked to learn during a first aid course that the town centre didn’t have any 24/7 defibrillators, which gives the heart an electric shock during a cardiac arrest.

Defibrillator map
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The European Resuscitation Council guidelines advise that use of an automated external defibrillator as quickly as three to five minutes of a collapse can lead to survival rates of a massive 50-75%.

Mr Crook said: “My father dropped down in the street with a heart attack when he was 74. One minute he was perfectly healthy and the next, he was gone.

“Maybe if he had been closer to a defibrillator, he could have been survived it. That’s the sort of situation that they’re good for.

The first town centre 999 accessed defibrillator installed at Huddersfield Parish Church. Left to right The Rt Revd Jonathan Gibbs Bishop of Huddersfield, Sandra Berry of Nationwide Building Society, Clr Jim Dodds Mayor of Kirklees and Rev Simon Crook.

“I would urge any businesses in the town centre to seriously consider getting one too.”

A defibrillator was recently installed in the foyer of the Lawrence Batley Theatre in Queen Street, but the venue is usually only open from 9.30am to 5pm Monday-Saturday.

The defibrillator was blessed by the Bishop of Huddersfield the Rt Rev Jonathan Gibbs at a special launch day.