Life-saving equipment has been installed at Swale council’s offices.

The authority has forked out to have three defibrillators set up – two at Swale House in Sittingbourne and one at the Sheppey Gateway in Sheerness.

They cost £895 each, with Kent County Council jointly-funding the Island’s one.

Between the two sites there are more than 36 volunteers trained to use them.

The machine delivers an electric shock to the heart when a cardiac arrest is suffered and, according to the British Heart Foundation, with prompt defibrillation survival rates can be as high as 75%.

Those bought by the local authority are fully automated, meaning they instruct the user on how to prepare the patient and attach the pads, and it will do the rest itself.

In addition, the Swale Youth Forum granted £500 to Highsted Grammar School to purchase the equipment and train members of staff and students to use it as part of the SADS UK campaign.

Swale’s cabinet member for community safety and health, Cllr Ken Pugh, said: “When somebody goes into cardiac arrest, every minute without CPR and defibrillation reduces their chance of survival by 10%. We support the need to make defibrillators available in public places.”

Last year staff at Swallows leisure centre in Avenue of Remembrance, Sittingbourne, were praised for saving the life of a man by using their defibrillator.

The 59-year-old suffered a heart attack on May 7 and “died” for six minutes before he started breathing again.

He had been taking part in a group spinning session, a cardiovascular workout which is designed to replicate road cycling, when he collapsed.

The centre’s duty manager, Chris Coveney, and lifeguard Lauren Butcher were immediately called to the studio.

Along with spin instructor Kelly Marsh and operations manager Craig King they provided CPR and two shocks using the defibrillator.

At the time, ambulance clinical team leader Gary Ormston said: “The actions of these staff undoubtedly led to the successful resuscitation and shows what a difference having defibrillators can make.”