TWO public defibrillators have been installed in a Taunton village after a group of volunteers fundraised to pay for the live-saving machines.

Working with the South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust, the Combe Florey Defibrillator Group have installed two public access defibrillators in Combe Florey Village Hall and in Trebles Holford.

The Combe Florey Defibrillator Group fundraised to pay for the life-saving devices and the ambulance service provided community training on how to use them in an event of a medical emergency.

When someone suffers a cardiac arrest and their heart stops beating, the sooner CPR is started, and they are connected to a defibrillator, the better their chance of survival.

For every minute’s delay, the chance of survival falls by 10 per cent.

Jonathan Warren, assistant community responder officer at the South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust, said: “An important part of my role is to get as many, easy to use defibrillators, in as many easy to access locations as possible, and to help ensure that there are people trained to use them and to provide CPR when minutes matter.

“I would like to thank the Combe Florey Defibrillator Group for fundraising for these devices, both defibrillators are now installed in unlocked cabinets and registered on The Circuit, a national database of defibrillators, so 999 callers can be provided details of their location and how to access them in an emergency.”

Learning CPR takes just a few minutes and could help the save the life of a friend or loved one.

If you see someone collapsed and not breathing normally you should call 999. 999 call handlers will talk you through what to do in those vital minutes until an ambulance crew arrives.