Fire stations in Co Cork urgently need defibrillators to prevent needless deaths from heart attacks as patients can be up to 160kms (100 miles) from the nearest hospital, it was claimed yesterday.
Fire brigades in Cork city have the life-saving devices, which are used to resuscitate people who suffer cardiac arrest. However, proposals to provide all fire stations in the county with defibrillators are on hold until the findings of a Government taskforce on sudden cardiac deaths are made known next year.
Fianna Fáil councillor in west Cork Joe Carroll said yesterday it was vital that defibrillators be installed in fire stations in the county in the near future.
"Cork county is an enormous size. You could be dead by the time you would get assistance.
"The first priority with defibrillators really has to be the firefighters. At the moment we are waiting on a report from the department before anything is done," he said.
It is believed the taskforce on sudden cardiac deaths will make its report public in the new year.
The taskforce was set up in September 2004 to review the problem of sudden cardiac deaths after a number of high profile athletes died suddenly, including Tyrone football captain Cormac McAnallen.
In a submission to the task- force Croí, the west of Ireland cardiology foundation, called for defibrillators to be provided in places where at least 30 people gather.
Fire stations are seen as an obvious choice for the defibrillators as they can then be brought on all emergency calls.
It is estimated that 6,000 people die of sudden cardiac death or sudden adult death syndrome every year in Ireland.
The Automatic External Defibrillator Council is campaigning for community resuscitation programmes to be set up throughout the State.
Total funding of some €6 million is needed to train local volunteers nationwide in the use of defibrillators, which involves giving an electrical shock to the heart.