Lifesaving equipment has been installed in a Huddersfield primary school.

A defibrillator has been placed at Moorlands Primary School in Mount near Outlane to support the cardiac charity SADS UK Big Shock campaign, writes Emma Wilkinson.

Although there are as many as 270 sudden cardiac arrests in schools every year, there is no legal requirement to keep defibrillators on the premises.

It is thought Moorlands is the first in the region to have equipment installed.

The campaign is calling for a new law to be passed to make the equipment mandatory in all schools.

Founder of SADS UK, Anne Jolly, said: “We are pleased that Moorlands Primary School will benefit from having a defibrillator on the premises to restart the heart if there is a cardiac arrest on the premises.

“Using CPR alone provides a 5% chance of survival, but using the defibrillator as well increases the chance of survival to over 50%.”

Yorkshire Ambulance Service staff provided a defibrillator training session to Moorland Primary School staff yesterday morning.

The Automated External Defibrillator is a small portable device which is used to shock a victim’s heart.

The equipment provides voice prompts to the rescuer.

Anne said: “It is impossible to place a value on a child’s life and it is imperative that all schools have access to an AED to prevent some of these potentially avoidable deaths.

“For the cost of a computer, we call for the government to state that an AED should be present in all schools to prevent some of the 250 lives lost each day to sudden cardiac arrest.”

The Big Shock campaign is not dissimilar from the Huddersfield Hearts and Goals Appeal set up by footballer Lee Orton.

After suffering a heart attack during a game in Huddersfield last year, the Ashbrow man set up the charity with the aim of having defibrillators located at sports complexes across the town.

If you would like more information about putting a defibrillator into the community then contact SADS UK email info@sadsuk.org or visit www.sadsuk.org