CHARITY and life-saving organisation St John’s Ambulance reminded residents that defibrillators should be registered on The Circuit.

The Circuit is the national defibrillator network which maps defibrillators across the UK and allows ambulance services to locate the nearest registered defibrillator when someone calls 999 in response to a cardiac arrest.

It also sends maintenance reminders to individuals responsible for looking after the defibrillator.

Following concerns posted anonymously on a Gloucestershire social media group that there are unregistered defibrillators across local communities, St John’s Ambulance Cymru Chief Executive, Richard Lee MBE, said: “It is essential that all defibrillators are registered on The Circuit so that people can find the nearest one as quickly as possible in an emergency.

“When someone suffers a cardiac arrest, defibrillators are the difference between life and death. With each minute that passes before a defibrillator shock is given, the patient’s chances of survival reduce by 10%.”

Richard added: “Creating a community of lifesavers is a central aim of our strategy for the next five years. We offer free first aid demonstrations to community groups and schools so that people can find out how defibrillators work and feel more confident using them just in case they need to use one in the future.

“Each year our Defibruary campaign helps thousands more people across the country learn these skills so visit our website to find out how you can get involved either online or in-person.”

The news comes following an increase in new life-saving resources being added to local communities, such as the recent additions of bleed control kits in Cinderford town and Littledean.

You can register a defibrillator or check if a defibrillator is already registered by visiting the St John’s Ambulance website.

You can also contact St John’s Ambulance for more information on 0370 0104 950.