‘Approve defibrillator at spot where I saved man’s life’, says councillor

Martin Shipton

A campaigning councillor is appealing to county planners to give the go-ahead for a proposed heart-starting defibrillator and critical bleed control kit at a prominent spot in the town where he helped save a man’s life by giving CPR.

Llanelli town councillor Shaun Greaney is urging Carmarthenshire county councillors on the planning committee to give the green light to plans by the Nationwide Building Society to install the vital equipment outside its Stepney Street branch.

Last October, Cllr Greaney successfully performed CPR on an unconscious and unresponsive man just yards from where the planned defibrillator and critical bleed control kit’ is proposed to be sited in the town centre.

‘This is an excellent plan and will increase the lifesaving potential in the heart of Llanelli,’ he said.

‘There is a defibrillator in Murray Street, another at the St Elli Centre, and one at the gym near Llanelli Bus Station.

‘It is vital this altruistic plan by the Nationwide Building Society is approved as it will fill a gap in provision,’ added the Labour councillor, who has long campaigned for defibrillators and critical bleed control kits.

Defibrillators can save lives by getting patients’ hearts beating following cardiac arrest.

They can be used by the public without training thanks to step-by-step audio instructions once switched on.

Bleed kits, or critical bleed control kits, contain specialised equipment to help stem severe blood loss.

Cllr Greaney spoke out in advance of the planning committee meeting, where a decision is to be made, in a “heartfelt appeal” to county councillors to give the go-ahead after the authority’s planning department rejected a similar proposal for the Nationwide Building Society branch in Guildhall Square, Carmarthen, in May.

Cllr Greaney urged a more “enlightened” attitude by heritage officers employed by the county council to help enhance public safety.

“While I am all for preserving heritage and conservation areas, it is clearly wrong to potentially jeopardise lives in their name,” he said.

He added that Llanelli Town Council had a defibrillator available for public use in an emergency outside its offices at the historic Old Vicarage in Town Hall Square.

“I’m sure the vast majority of the public would agree with me. If it is correct in planning law to turn them down because of old buildings in an area, then the law needs changing in my view,” said Cllr Greaney.

He also described the east of the town centre as a “lifesaving equipment desert”.

Responsibility

Cllr Greaney said: “The county council has a responsibility to citizens of the county. Why have a defibrillator behind closed doors at the Ffwrnes Theatre when it could be at the entrance and available 24-hours a day outside?

“The theatre is a busy building and the nearby Eastgate car park is very popular, as is the Odeon Cinema nearby. The Theatre would be an ideal spot – at the moment it’s an opportunity going to waste.”

He praised the county council for taking the initiative to install a defibrillator at the public car park outside Llanelli’s Pentre Awel health and leisure development, adding: “The next step should be for them to install a critical bleed control kit there.”

The next meeting of the county council’s planning committee is due to take place on July 30.