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.
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.
“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.