The defibrillator that used to live at the Ilbert Road filling station in Kingsbridge has found a new home just around the corner at the Well Pharmacy.

The automated external defibrillator was acquired by Kingsbridge Estuary Rotary Club in May 2013 and located on the forecourt of the Texaco filling station in Ilbert Road. At the time, it was the first public access defibrillator to be available 24 hours a day, seven days a week in Kingsbridge.

During the building works for the filling station redevelopment late last year, the AED was removed and a new home was found at the Seven Stars across the road. With thanks to landlady Laura Croxford, the AED was accessible during opening hours. But a new permanent site was still needed for the AED to restore it to round the clock availability.

A new location for the AED has been found at the Well Pharmacy on The Quay.

The bright blue cabinet has been fitted to the front wall of the pharmacy, just

to the right of the main entrance.

South West Ambulance Service have been notified of the new location and their 999

database has been updated accordingly.

Chris Miller, president of Kingsbridge Estuary Rotary Club, said: “I am delighted with the prominent location for our defibrillator. It is highly visible to both pedestrians and motorists in an area of the town with high footfall.”

Steve Kerr, also of KERC, said: “I am very grateful to a number of people and organisations who have helped to make this happen. Firstly to Well Pharmacy and their landlord for agreeing to accommodate the AED. Then to Steve and James Jarvis of Jarvco Ltd for fitting the cabinet at their own expense and finally to Kingsbridge Town Council and Martin Johnson, town clerk, for their support.”

An AED is a portable device that checks the heart rhythm and can send an electric shock to the heart to try to restore a normal rhythm. AEDs are designed to be used by members of the public to treat sudden cardiac arrest, a condition in which the heart suddenly and unexpectedly stops beating.

Kingsbridge Estuary Rotary Club provides emergency life saving training through its Heartstart Scheme, in affiliation with the British Heart Foundation. This training is available to local communities, clubs and voluntary organisations. It includes CPR and the use of a defibrillator to buy time for the victim of a cardiac arrest until the emergency services arrive.

For more information, go to www.estuaryrotary.org.uk or email [email protected].