New CPAD site in Norfolk

The villages of Corpusty and Saxthorpe have become the latest north Norfolk community to install a community public access defibrillator.

The cPAD weatherproof cabinet was installed outside the shop on the village green, and went 'live' with ambulance control in June. This brings the total number of cPADs in the Holt area of north Norfolk up to five and with one 'save' last year at another of the sites, they are certainly proving to be a worthwhile project spearheaded by the Holt Responders.

Aubrey Poberefsky, of Corpusty and Saxthorpe Parish Council, along with Holt and Communities Response and Andrew Barlow, a Trust community partnership manager, worked to get the cPAD installed, and Andrew said: "The village defib gives residents a new sense of security, that we can do more for each other than just call for an ambulance. We can do something pro-active to help in such time-critical situations."

And residents were certainly pro-active when it came to the cPAD training sessions offered by the ambulance service to complement the installation. The two half-day courses held in the village hall were packed with residents keen to learn. "People are always surprised to learn how much they can do to help someone," said Andrew, "and also at how simple these procedures are. They really can make the difference between life and death."