Health & Wellbeing

Defibrillator in Crowborough vandalised

Wednesday 15th July 2015

Update (09:50): It has now been clarified that the defibrillator was vandalised but not stolen. It is thought that it will require an expensive new battery and possibly replacement pads. Town Councillor George Moss, who is also a Crowborough First Responder, has now tweeted to say the defibrillator has been re-instated.

Crowborough Town Council defibrillator now reinstated. pic.twitter.com/oaJdOQMm97

— George Moss (@GMoosse) July 15, 2015

A vital and potentially lifesaving piece of equipment has been damaged outside Crowborough Town Hall.

On Saturday night the defibrillator was vandalised. It was originally throught the device had been stolen, but it is now understood that an alarm was activated on the device. To prevent it from further damage an off-duty police office took it away for safe-keeping. Last night Leigh Westwood, Team Leader of volunteer Crowborough First Responders, too to social media to appeal for information:

Defibrillator in Crowborough vandalised and stolen last Saturday night. These things are not toys. They save lives.. (CRB-10) — Crowborough CFRs (@CrowboroughCFR) July 14, 2015

These pieces of equipment are a vital link in the chain of survival to people suffering life-threatening conditions such as a cardiac arrest. The equipment costs around £1,000 and is of no benefit to those who have stolen it. The theft has been reported and anyone with information should make contact urgently.

Defibrillators are used to deliver a shock to restart a patient’s heart when they are in cardiac arrest, and the public access machines talk the user through how they must be used with support from the ambulance control centre. There are three other Automated External Defibrillators located outside the following buildings in Crowborough: