WITH housing estates being built in the east of Hexham, a defibrillator has been installed at a nearby car dealership.

Arnold Clark has recently purchased the potentially life-saving piece of equipment at its Hexham Ford branch on Corbridge Road for the use of its customers and also surrounding residents in cases of emergency. In recent years, multiple housing estates have been created and the defibrillator was placed on the exterior of the dealership building to allow access to the general public.

Its installation was part of Arnold Clark’s aims to roll out the equipment at each of its bases. The automated external defibrillator is located in a locked cabinet and users can use an intercom to connect to an alarm receiving centre, which allows the user to speak to a trained first aider to assist in using the equipment.

Arnold Clark has also trained and appointed in-branch first aiders, as well as compiling a guide highlighting the steps needed to deal with an emergency situation.