Essex and Herts Air Ambulance (EHAAT) has installed a potentially life-saving defibrillator near its shop in Letchworth Town Centre.

The purchase of the cabinet and the equipment, which is designed to be safely used by untrained members of the public, was made possible after EHAAT was generously awarded grants by Hertfordshire County Councillors Terry Hone and Michael Muir. It reaffirms the charity's commitment to installing Community Public Access Defibrillators (CPADs) outside or in the vicinity of its premises, making them accessible so that, should a sudden cardiac arrest occur, assistance can be given at the very earliest opportunity.

Cllr Hone commented: 'We are pleased to have been able to provide funds for the placement of the defibrillator outside The Arcade on Leys Avenue. It was an honour to have been invited to the official unveiling of the new defibrillator and see it come to fruition. This means that there is another CPAD for residents and visitors in the town, greatly increasing the chances of survival for someone in cardiac arrest."

Leila Clarke, Associate Retail Commercial Director at EHAAT said: "We are very grateful to Cllrs Hone and Muir for their generosity in funding this defibrillator. Thanks to their support this potentially life-saving piece of equipment has been made available to the people of Letchworth."

A defibrillator is a computerised medical device used when a person experiences sudden cardiac arrest. It delivers an electrical current through the chest which aims to shock the heart back into a normal rhythm, allowing it to pump again. The use of this, alongside cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), is crucial to the "chain of survival".

EHAAT hopes that the defibrillator will encourage bystanders to get involved if they encounter a case of cardiac arrest and will provide the people of Letchworth with additional assistance before trained medical help arrives.

Adam Carr, EHAAT's Centre for Excellence Clinical Community Lead said: "Our Pre-hospital Care Doctors and Critical Care Paramedics treat many out-of-hospital cardiac arrests each year, and the NHS Ambulance services treat approximately 30,000 annually.

"Care and treatment have advanced year on year, but those receiving bystander CPR and early defibrillation have a better chance of survival. PADs are a recognised, safe method of initiating care in this group of patients, for whom time is critical.

"We want the public to know that once 999 has been called, ensuring that further help is on the way, they should not be afraid to use the equipment and start CPR. The defibrillator provides clear and audible instructions and will not deliver a shock if the patient does not need it."

Essex and Herts Air Ambulance's Letchworth Charity Shop is at 17 Eastcheap, Letchworth, SG6 3DA and is open Monday to Saturday, 9am to 5pm, and on Sundays from 10am to 4pm. To find out more about your local life-saving air ambulance, donating and volunteering, call 0345 2417 690, or visit www.ehaat.org.