This article is from page 33 of the 2007-09-04 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 33 JPG
AFTER more than a year of fund- raising and preparation, Scariff at last has it’s life-saving defibrillator up and running.
The twenty volunteers trained in the use of the new machine launched the service on September | and it is now available to anyone experienc- ing a cardiac emergency.
The defibrillator has been placed in a specially constructed box by the post office and a mobile phone – 086 2518851 – has been set up so that the volunteer on duty can be reached.
‘Each volunteer takes the phone for
a week at a time So that’s five weeks every two years that a volunteer is on duty – that’s not too much,” explained Cora Long, one of the committee members who set up the drive to get the defibrillator as Scariff doesn’t have 24 hour ambulance cover.
“We cover an area which takes in Tuamgraney and the two GAA pitch- es. It has to be within the one mile radius because time is very impor- tant in this,’ Cora explained.
The vital piece of machinery cost 3,000 to buy but locals fund-raised 4,500 to cover additional costs such as extra pads, and a box to house the machine.
Pads for the defibrillator have to be replaced each time they are used and cost almost €60. “If you had to go twice with someone, that would be €120, so we have a couple spare. We have arranged a deal that when pads are used we will get replacements couriered in to us.”
Even the box to house the defibril- lator has to be a special damp-proof, theft proof and tamper proof one.
“The Scariff Community Council have kindly paid two years insur- ance for the defibrillator so that was all that was needed for us to get it up and running,’ said Cora.
Cora warned that at the first sign
of a suspected cardiac problem, an ambulance should be called before the defibrillator team is contacted. “Ring the ambulance first and then ring us. The number will be printed in the parish newsletter, in the Scar- iff newsletter and we’re getting it put up on posters in the pubs and shops and all over the village so that every- one will know where to contact us in the case of a cardiac emergency.”
The campaign for a defibrillator be- gan with the campaign to secure 24 hour ambulance cover for Scariff.
‘There has been no change as yet in that situation but we are still work- ing away,’ said Cora.