Mylander Issue 87

Council Reports Myland gets more defibs Well, I am back again to update you on the progress of Myland Community Council’s long-term plan to site Automated External Defibrillators, often known as AED’s around the Myland area. The requirement is that all selected sites have 24 hours, 365 days a year access by the community. The defibrillators will all be housed in a strong metal box at prominent locations. This is so that they can easily be located by members of the public when needed. Access can only be gained by getting the current keycode from the ambulance service, by calling 999, if they deem a defibrillator appropriate. The ambulance service has a list of the locations of most community defibrillators in the UK. They are often used by Colchester Community First Responders to grab and go as they need them too. After agreeing the purchase of our first four defibrillators at the full Myland Community Council meeting in November 2020, I am pleased to say they have all arrived and are in the process of being commissioned at their new homes. The 1st was sited at the Esso garage, located at 124 Bergholt Road, which is owned by the Miller Group—they also have defibs located at some of their other local sites so we thought that they would be agreeable to have one located on Bergholt Road. The 2nd will be commissioned on 7th April at the Camulos Academy (primary school), Whitmore Drive, just off the Via Urbis Romanae on the new Kingswood Heath (Severalls) estate. The 3rd has required slightly more work to get it installed, but will be located outside of the Queen Boudica Primary school, Cowper Crescent on the Northfields estate off Turner Road, as soon as the work is completed. The 4th I can’t announce right now, but I am in negotiations for this to be in place shortly and it will again be at a prominent site in the Myland area, situated where it will cover lots of footfall and residents. I also wish to thank the Mylander readers who pointed out to me that I had missed the defibrillator on Mill Road Recreation Ground at the Pavilion in my last list. So glad that you have been paying attention to where they are locally. That knowledge could save someone’s life, maybe someone in your own family? I am also pleased to announce that the new Leisure Centre just North of the A12 will have a defibrillator inside their building, which those in the immediate vicinity can go to reception and ask for a first aider and the defib if it is needed close by. We think that the Rugby club will also have one inside the building for when they have events or matches on. This was not a suitable site for one of our Community defibrillators, as it will be locked when the two sites are not open. 17