A taxi office is the temporary home for a new defibrillator in Sandwich.

A generous donation from Deal Community First Responders (CFRs) means the town now has two of the lifesaving devices.

The newest piece of equipment is being housed at Sandwich Cars’ office in Cattle Market, next to the Empire cinema, while planning permission is obtained to fix it to an external wall of The Guildhall.

Zella Nerssessian and Julie Elmes from Deal CFRs have presented the electronic machine to mayor Cllr Paul Graeme.

He said: “We are very grateful for this donation. It is the second defibrillator in the town joining the one in The Co-op but we feel that Sandwich Cars’ opening hours will make this one more accessible and once it is on the outside wall of the Guildhall it will be even more accessible.

“We hope to have it there as soon as possible.”

CFRs are volunteers in the community who are trained by the ambulance service to respond to 999 calls in areas close to where they live, ensuring they can attend the scene of an emergency within minutes.

This early intervention significantly increases a patient’s chance of survival and is a vital service within the district. The work of Deal CFRs extends beyond Deal with some volunteers living in Sandwich.

Ms Nerssessian said: “We are keen to ensure that members of the public have 24/7 access to life saving equipment and are delighted to donate this device to the town.

“In the event of a cardiac arrest, always call 999 first to ensure emergency services are dispatched without delay before organising the collection of the defibrillator.”

Deal CFRs are planning to provide training on how to use the machine to members of the public in the coming weeks.

Cllr Graeme added: “These devices save lives as we’ve learnt from other towns. We are hopeful that with the help of other fundraising and grants we will be able to have a network of them throughout Sandwich.”

For updates regarding training, visit sandwichtowncouncil.gov.uk