RESIDENTS can be safe in the knowledge that help is close to hand if they suffer a cardiac arrest after four defibrillators were unveiled on the island.

Community First Responders and their partners have been working hard to get the lifesaving equipment bought and installed.

The defibrillators are simple to use and can restart someone’s heart if it stops. They will not work if there is a pulse.

The defibrillators are located at Wilson Wood Properties, 121 Furtherwick Road, GMD Mowers and Tools, 270 High Street, Design 4 Print Unit, 13-15 Vikings Way and Nisa Local, 2 Craven Avenue.

The defibrillators were officially unveiled yesterday.

Mick Allwood, of the first responders, said: “This has been made possible not only by the generosity of Canvey people themselves but we have received some truly amazing donations from community funding and other organisations and local clubs such as the U3A Club, the Castle Point Ladies Dining Club including the Rotary Club and Canvey Town Council whose wonderful garden flower show was a huge success.

“Cast and Crew Theatre Workshops recently put on a play to raise funds for us so thank you to them.

“We have received wonderful support from Sainsbury’s as their adopted charity for the past year and once again the Canvey Carnival committee have awarded us with a generous donation.

“None of this would be possible without the kind consideration of the sites allocated the cabinets, so we thank the proprietors for allowing the cabinets their place on their premises.”

Members of the community, Rotary Club members and paramedics were delighted to see each of the new defibrillators now they have been installed.

Afterwards, they enjoyed a reception at the local Conservative Club.

The First Responders are not funded by the NHS and members rely on donations to help keep the group running.

Their presence in the local community greatly enhances a patient’s chances of survival and with the new defibrillators, chances of survival are increased further. The volunteers are often first on the scene of an emergency.

Studies from the British Medical Journal has found that chances of resuscitation is 98 per cent with the availability of the equipment to treat the patient.

If you manage to get a defibrillator to someone within four to five minutes of a cardiac arrest, you are giving them a 70 per cent chance of survival. For every minute after that, it decreases by 10 per cent. If you need to use a defibrillator, dial 999 and you will be directed direct to the nearest one and give the access code.