A Ballymahon paramedic is calling for a group to be set up in Athlone to organise the maintenance and costs for defibrillators around the town.
Darren Mulledy lives in Longford but works in Athlone and says volunteers there have had to pay for new pads for the machines out of their own pockets.
He says the town is fortunate that the Tony Parker Foundation has donated a large number of machines to the area, but he isn't sure that everyone is aware where they are available.
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Darren says the machines need to be checked regularly and need to be ready to go again with new pads as soon as one is used on a person.
He wants people to form an official group so that costs won't have to be borne by volunteers who are already donating their own time.
