The potentially lifesaving equipment has been installed at Brae Court on the High Street and at West Port on St Ninian’s Road by members of the Linlithgow Community First Responders group.

A defibrillator is a device that gives a high energy shock to the heart of someone who is in cardiac arrest. For every minute that someone is in cardiac arrest without receiving CPR and having a defibrillator used on them, their chance of survival decreases by 10%.

The volunteer-led organisation was provided with the funds to purchase the devices thanks to the Preston Glade Community Pledge, an initiative by Cala Homes that aims to support groups and organisations across Linlithgow by providing meaningful and measurable benefit to the area.

David Booth from Linlithgow Community First Responders said: “When Cala Homes approached us with the opportunity to work with them and the Preston Glade Community Pledge, we were very grateful for the chance.

“Although we are part of the Scottish Ambulance Service, Linlithgow Community First Responders is a charity and relies on the generosity of the community and their donations to help fund the placement of public access defibrillators.

“All of our members have been trained by the Scottish Ambulance Service to attended emergency calls, such as cardiac arrests, and through our volunteer’s work we have seen first-hand the difference that quick intervention can make in saving lives.

“The installation of these two defibrillators has the potential to save lives and are a welcome addition to the coverage throughout town.

“We hope the defibrillators never have to be used, but we will continue to look for more locations within the community, so we have best coverage possible in the event of a cardiac arrest to buy time between the emergency call and the arrival of an ambulance or responder giving the patient the best possible chance of recovery.”

Kim Newbigging, regional sales manager at Cala Homes (East), said: “We’re proud to have worked closely alongside the Linlithgow Community First Responders to bring this additional, vital equipment to the town.

“With these defibrillators readily available, more people will be able to act quickly in case of an emergency, which could potentially save lives.

“It’s projects like this which make a real difference to the lives of people living within Linlithgow that we’re proud to support through our Preston Glade Community Pledge, and we’re excited to provide further updates about the fantastic programme of support we have planned for the community here.”

Cala said its Community Pledge goes above and beyond planning obligations and represents an evolution of work Cala has been doing for many years within the communities in which they build, ensuring that they support the local areas and people who live there.