Defibrillator Update

The defibrillator has been placed back in the cabinet on the outside of the Church Rooms behind St John’s Church today. It has new batteries and pads and is in full working order.

We have been aware of some criticism on social media that the defibrillator was removed last week without informing residents. Defibrillator batteries last approximately 5 years so the unit has not had to be serviced until this year. The Clerk correctly removed the unit in order to do this and informed the ambulance service that it was currently out of action. This is the correct process so that when a resident dials 999 they are automatically directed to the next nearest defibrillator should they need to access one.

The ambulance service advised us that the defibrillator, which was purchased some years ago by the old parish council, was not registered with them at the time of purchase. This means that the emergency services have not known of its existence to use in an emergency. The good news is it will now be registered and also automatically added to the Save a Life app.

The defibrillator will be moved shortly to a new location at the Village Hall with a new cabinet as the existing one needs replacing. The cabinet will have a keypad system in place and if you dial 999 after someone has had a cardiac arrest, the ambulance service will give you the keypad code so that you can access the defibrillator.

Every community defibrillator needs to have two guardians whose details are held by the ambulance service and whose role it is to ensure the defibrillator remains response ready at all times. This involves checking the active light and battery life regularly and reporting any problems to the Clerk. The Clerk will have the overall responsibility for being the main liaison point with the ambulance service should there be any issues.

If you would like to take on the role of guardian please email the Clerk at