A GROUP of Halbeath neighbours clubbed together and raised £1,200 for life-saving equipment after ambulance staff were delayed attending two cardiac arrests at the nearby level crossing.

Residents on Long Row felt compelled to buy a defibrillator following the incidents this year where emergency services were left waiting for a train to pass before they could reach seriously ill patients.

On one occasion locals watched on helplessly as an ambulance was on the wrong side of the tracks for around five minutes as a customer at the Hideaway restaurant suffered a cardiac arrest – a life-threatening condition where every second counts.

There was also a delay in reaching a Long Row resident, who suffered from chest pains in a separate incident, while, just six weeks ago the fire brigade was held up at the crossing over the Fife Circle line when a fire broke out at a nearby villa.

Jim Spalding, 64, of Long Row, told the Press: “These incidents have happened in a short space of time and they’re just the ones we know of.

“It’s a cause for concern because another neighbour has also had two heart attacks and we thought we needed to do all we can to try and prevent something more serious happening.

“We were finally pushed to act after reading an article that highlighted the value of having a defibrillator in the community.

“We see ourselves as small hamlet and we hope we can inspire other small areas to follow suit because they’re often places that may be harder for the emergency services to get to.”

Around 30,000 people suffer a cardiac arrest in the UK every year and the Press’ successful ‘Take Heart’ campaign managed to ensure that public access defibrillators were bought and placed in Dunfermline town centre.

The locals who stay in the 16 cottages of Long Row managed to come together and raise £1,200 in just seven weeks for the life-saving piece of kit.

The Hideway restaurant also donated funds to the pot for the defibrillator and were hosting a training session on the equipment on Tuesday night.

However, for now, it remains in Jim’s shed because the Long Row Improvement Group need a secure cabinet to house it.

With the support of the Press they are appealing for local businesses to help them get the £350 needed to buy a cabinet.

Jim added: “We want to share this life-saving equipment with the wider public.

“We get an awful lot of dog walkers and cyclists passing Kingseat Road.

“However, a defibrillator can’t work in below zero temperatures, so a cabinet is really needed for us to put it in a public area.

“A cardiac arrest could happen to anyone at any time and what happens in them first few minutes are vital.

“Many people don’t think about it until it happens on your door step.”

A Scottish Ambulance Service spokesperson said: “We would like to thank the residents at Long Row for raising funds to purchase a public access defibrillator (PAD).

“PADs along with CPR are critical in the survival of a patient who has suffered a cardiac arrest.

“You do not need to be clinically trained to use a PAD. Modern defibrillators are fitted with a computerised voice which will give the user full vocal instructions on its use.

“The defibrillator is clever enough to decide whether a patient is in cardiac arrest and will not shock a patient unless it is indicated.

“It is vital that anyone who has a defibrillator manages its maintenance and registers it with us at https://pad.scottishambulance.com.”