LUCAN GAZETTE
Thursday 27 September 2012
Hiromi Mooney
Local defibrillator project launched
More than 60 people attended the recent launch of the Lucan Community Defibrillator Project in The Lord Lucan pub.
The project, entitled, Saving Minutes – Saves Lives, was launched by the Lord Lucan, Fine Gael TD Derek Keating and Jonah Roche, the managing director of Skillship, a company that provides first-aid training.
According to The Irish Heart Foundation, around 5,000 people die from a heart attack every year, and, speaking at the launch, Deputy Keating said that he was “confident that many lives can be saved as a result of this new initiative”.
He added: “This service for Lucan means that a fighting chance is now available when one of our neighbours suffers a heart attack.”
The defibrillators are now available in the Lucan village area, the Finnstown area and the Ballyowen Shopping Centre. The project aims to have defibrillators available on a permanent basis, so that when an emergency arises, they will be immediately available to assist in keeping a patient alive while emergency services are summoned.
Deputy Keating said: “We are all aware of the ‘golden hour’ when a cardiac arrest takes place. I am very aware of this myself, having had a family member find themselves in exactly this situation recently and, although everything has worked out well there, it was a terrifying experience for us.”
This is the first community defibrillator project of its type in Dublin, and is supported by the Irish Heart Foundation, South Dublin County Council, the Garda, he Lord Lucan, and Eurospar, Ballyowen Castle Shopping Centre.
Deputy Keating said: “People representing many walks of life in Lucan, have all gathered to endorse and contribute to a new service which will in the foreseeable future (hopefully) become a template for a national service.”