GUERNSEY has three new life-saving defibrillators. They have been placed at the Strawberry Farm, the L’Ancresse Golf Club and at Checkers at Admiral Park.

It brings the total distributed in Guernsey to 33 and the St John Ambulance & Rescue Service has trained more than 650 islanders in their use.

The service owns some of the defibrillators and others have been bought by local businesses.

The latest machines have been funded by the British Heart Foundation, but all are coordinated under the service’s Guernsey Programme initiative.

If someone suffers a heart attack, even in a private home, and a machine is available nearby, anyone trained in its use can access it before the arrival of an ambulance.

‘The first few minutes following an attack can be critical,’ said chief ambulance officer Neil Tucker.

‘If a member of the public can perform resuscitation followed by early defibrillation within those minutes, it can treble or quadruple the patient’s survival chances.’

Defibrillators issue a controlled electric shock to restore the normal heart rhythm and further treatment can be administered by paramedics when they arrive.

Mr Tucker said he was extremely grateful to the BHF for funding the latest machines.

‘Use of defibrillators by a trained member of the public could make the difference between life and death.

‘As a charitable service, we rely on public donations and bequests to maintain many of our activities, such as the Flying Christine and the cliff rescue team, and we do not receive any States money to assist with this community defibrillator initiative.’