LIFESAVING EQUIPMENT INSTALLED AT VILLAGE PUB

A vital piece of lifesaving equipment has been installed at Shepherd Neame pub The Dove in Dargate.
                                                                                                                                                                
The external defibrillator is on the side of the pub and is publicly accessible 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Its purchase was organised by Hernhill Parish Council, entirely funded by grants with contributions from Councillor Andrew Bowles (Kent County Council and Swale Borough Council), Councillor Alistair Gould (SBC) and Councillor George Bobbins (SBC).
 
Shepherd Neame also got in touch with its electrical contractors E-Elvins & Co, based in Paddock Wood, who agreed to install the defibrillator for free.
 
The recently retired Hernhill Parish Council Chairman Jill Geliot, under whose tenure the grant monies were raised, said: “We are a very rural parish, so it is essential for our residents to have quick access to lifesaving equipment in the event of an emergency. We installed an external defibrillator at Hernhill Village Hall in 2017, but as our parish is so spread out, we thought it would be a good idea to get one for Dargate. The Dove is the central point in the village, so it seemed the obvious place for its installation.
 
“We would like to thank everyone who has supported the project. We hope that we never need to use the defibrillators, but they are there now just in case.”
 
The Dove’s licensee Sophie Webb, who runs the pub with business partner William Shenow-Brady, said: “We were obviously delighted to support the installation of the defibrillator here. This vital lifesaving equipment is a huge asset for our community.”


Accessing the defibrillator
 
The defibrillators are housed in weatherproof boxes and locked with a number key code. To open, phone 999, ask for ambulance and tell them your location. They will give you the code to open the box as well as send an ambulance at the same time.