Connel now has a defibrillator on its village hall wall thanks to team effort.
Scottish Sea Farms, Connel Community Council, the trustees of Connel Village Hall and electrical contractor Kenneth Ferguson got together to make it happen.
The portable device automatically diagnoses life-threatening cardiac arrhythmias or arrests, and by following simple instructions can be used by anyone.
Chairman of the trustees of the village hall Sandy Dunlop said the community was grateful to Scottish Sea Farms for donating the device to the Community Council, who paid for the approved cabinet, and to Kenneth Ferguson Electrical Contractor Limited for connecting the AED to the hall’s electricity supply for no charge.
Every defibrillator needs a designated Responsible Person and Cheryl Howe, who did all the necessary registration for the AED, has agreed to take on the role making sure all the mandatory checks are carried out.
The Connel AED is registered on a national network which means the Scottish Ambulance Service has its details.
Cheryl will be arranging for a demonstration of a defibrillator and life-saving CPR in the village hall soon.
"The population of Connel can easily double during the tourist season and having a defibrillator in the
village should bring some assurance to hotel proprietors and guest house owners, not to mention
residents, that help is at hand locally while waiting on our hard pressed ambulance service to arrive.
"While we would all hope that the AED at the Village Hall might not be needed it does show what can
be achieved when a community works together with a single aim," said Mr Dunlop.
Scottish Sea Farms’ Heart of the Community Co-ordinator Jess Taylor-McKaig added: “Defibrillators can play a critical role in saving lives during emergency situations, but perhaps nowhere more so than in remote coastal and rural communities. It’s why we try to ensure as many of our own devices as possible are accessible to locals and visitors.
“When Connel Community Council approached us for support to add a defibrillator to the area, we were keen to make it happen, helping ensure that should a suspected cardiac event arise there is potentially lifesaving equipment close by.”
A list of all Scottish Sea Farms defibrillators that are accessible to the public can be found here.
These include defibrillators at Barcaldine Hatchery, the engineering workshop by Creran Marine, and three shore bases on Mull - at Fiunary, Scallastle and Spelve. Scottish Sea Farms is also looking to make its South Shian defibrillator accessible to the public too.
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