Shrewsbury company installs defibrillator for its staff and community use

Hartshorne Group has installed the life-saving medical device at its depot in Ainsdale Drive, which is now registered on an official database so that 999 callers can be directed there in an emergency.

The company, which supplies and services Volvo trucks and buses across the Midlands, now plans to install further defibrillators in partnership with West Midlands Ambulance Service.

Defibrillators come with voice instructions so that they can be used by anybody in order to restart somebody's heart in the event of a cardiac arrest.

Ian Middleton, managing director of Hartshorne Group, said: "We are pleased to be funding defibrillators for community use as part of our Healthy Heart Campaign. I'd like to thank the ambulance service for the fantastic support they are providing to help us make this happen."

Hartshorne recently hosted a training session at which its staff were given advice by the ambulance service, which included being shown how to perform CPR.

Andy Jeynes, community response manager for West Midlands Ambulance Service said: “I'm very proud to support Hartshorne's initiative to install heart defibrillators.

"If somebody suffers a cardiac arrest, their chances of survival are greatly increased by CPR and the use of a defibrillator."

Hartshorne has directly funded the defibrillators at its depots. It is now working to raise additional funds by donating £1 for every hour of healthy exercise that staff track via an app. This can include environmentally friendly methods of commuting, such as such as walking or cycling to work.

Ambulance chiefs say any businesses that have defibrillators can register them for public use via the national database at thecircuit.uk

Hartshorne Group's 'Healthy Heart Campaign' demonstrator truck is also being used to promote awareness of the importance of heart defibrillators.