Albrighton gets life-saving boost with new defibrillator

The Albrighton & Cosford Community First Responders, who have been giving up their own time to serve the local community since 2004, have provided The Crown public house with the device that gives a high energy electric shock to the heart of someone who is in cardiac arrest.

Brought into spotlight during the recent European Championships, this vital piece of equipment will be located at one of the busiest venues in Albrighton and one that regularly attracts a wide spectrum of customers and age groups.

It comes in recognition of the efforts of local managers Lee and Samantha Maddox and their children, who have held numerous charity events and baked cakes to raise money for a new Community First Responder vehicle.

“We had a surplus defibrillator and wanted to make sure that it was in a location that was easily accessible and in a central location in the village,” explained Dave Fitton, who is chairman of the village's first responders.

“It is vital that we have this life-saving equipment readily available as we never know when someone may need it. There are three already in the village and a fourth will give us that added protection as minutes, even seconds can make a real difference to someone living or not.

“The Crown has been a massive supporter of what we do and helped us to raise hundreds of pounds towards the new car that we have been using to support medical deliveries and urgent emergency response calls for the last twelve months.”

Albrighton & Cosford Community First Responders successfully raised more than £30,000 to purchase a BMW X1, chosen due to its reliability, ability to cross rough terrain and the option for it to be modified to store crucial equipment, such as defibrillators, monitors, oxygen and airway management aides.

The car carries the full ‘Community First Responders’ livery and has the latest communications technology in place to ensure all calls can be answered quickly.

All of the volunteers have been trained to the latest national qualifications and work, on average, 20 hours each per month. They have responded to more than 200 incidents, covering cardiac arrests, blood loss, breathing issues, as well as dealing with falls, sprains and potential broken bones.

As soon as lockdown started, the Albrighton CFRs contacted the village chemist and offered to support the delivery of prescriptions to people who were vulnerable or shielding, initially doing two days per week before it quickly escalated to six days.

Dave and fellow First Responder Derek Mattinson also answered a request from the Assistant Chief Ambulance Officer of the West Midlands to undertake extra training, in order to support high dependency patient transfer services to support the front line effort during Covid-19.

Lee Maddox, manager at The Crown, added: “Our pub is at the heart of the village, both in where it is located and the number of people who visit us for a drink, something to eat or just to catch-up with friends.

“We are very proud to be the latest recipient of another defibrillator for Albrighton and we will continue to do what we can as ‘a local’ to support the efforts of the Community First Responders.”