CLYDEBANK organisations have been urged to register their defibrillators with West Dunbartonshire Council.

The council has launched a campaign to raise awareness after hearing of the inspirational work by Heartstart and the Scottish Ambulance Service (SAS) to highlight the importance of defibrillators - a device which can diagnose electrical activity in the heart and where necessary will provide an electrical shock to return the heart to a normal rhythm during a cardiac arrest - in the community.

Councillors joined paramedic Brian Martin whose life was saved by one of the life-saving machines, Diane Hodgkinson whose son Craig, 27, died whilst playing rugby and Norma Docherty who lost her 17-year-old son Scott to SADS (Sudden Arrythmic Death Syndrome) in 2011, in a bid to prevent further deaths.

WDC is calling on members of the public to support the cause by helping compile a list of all of the defibrillators within public buildings, businesses, organisations and groups across West Dunbartonshire.

Cllr Marie McNair, convener of West Dunbartonshire health and social care partnership, said: “As a council we are committed to improving the lives of our residents and I am delighted to launch this campaign and publicly support the great work already established by Heartstart, the Scottish Ambulance Service and everyone involved in installing these devices locally.

“It is vital that members of the public know where these machines are held locally and also trained to use them.

“I would urge business, organisations and community groups to help build up an accurate register of where these life -saving machines are fitted.

She added: “The register is being compiled by the Scottish Ambulance Service’s R2R (Register to Resuscitate) and so they can direct someone to their nearest machine in the event of an emergency.

“These machines are saving lives and I would urge people to back this campaign and make sure every machine in West Dunbartonshire is registered.”

The local authority has a number of the potentially life-saving devices on site at buildings and schools across the area but the SAS believes there are likely to be others in the area that are not registered.

Trossachs Search and Rescue in partnership with Helensburgh and Local district CPR/ Defibrillator Association and Garelochhead First Responders have mapped more than 120 defibrillators located throughout West Dunbartonshire and the surrounding area.

The location of the nearest defibrillator can be found on an app which can be downloaded from trossachsdefibrillator.co.uk and used in an emergency.