Derry’s city centre is to have three defibrillators installed by Derry City Council’s Environmental Services Committee. The potentially life-saving equipment was confirmed as viable at their December meeting on Thursday. The cost of about £9000 has already been put in place to cover it’s cost as well as its installation.

For security reasons the defibrillators will be locked in cabinets which can only be accessed by a code held by Emergency Ambulance staff. The code can be given out during a 999 call. The equipment has proved to be life saving in the case of numerous schoolchildren and sports people while there has been a number of tragedies in sporting arenas because defibrillators were not made available.

City Centre Manager Jim Roddy was the original person to bring up a report in front of the committee in the Guildhall. “The City Centre Manager has been working with a number of agencies in order to progress these installations and has asked for Council support for the purchase and installation of one of the three cabinets.” The report also states that there would be a small annual electricity cost of £20- £25, while cartridge replacements would cost £95 if not used within four years.

The project was endorsed unanimously by the councillors, a decision that was welcomed by chairman of the Environmental Services Committee Colly Kelly. He said that council had introduced defibrillators at its own buildings and sporting facilities back in November 2011, and that the Mr Roddy, the council, Ilex and the Ambulance Service had all worked together since to progress broadening this out to include the city centre.

“If it saves one person’s life it will be worthwhile”, he said. SDLP Councillor Mark O’Donnell, a first aider who is trained in the use of such machines, said: “By having these defibrillators on scene bystanders will be able to provide vital intervention and radically improve a patients chances of survival, the defibrillators can only be accessed via a pin code provided when the emergency services are called and they can be easily used with the guidance of an operator.”