Defibrillators have been installed at four locations around the National Football Stadium at Windsor Park.
Following a fundraising drive by the Amalgamation of Official Northern Ireland Supporters’ Clubs, four defibrillator kits have been placed at Sandy Row, Great Northern Street and at the Adelaide rail halt.
The Amalgamation decided to raise funds to purchase the life-saving devices following the death of a supporter who suffered a heart attack while attending a Northern Ireland game in Belfast in November 2021. And the money collected by the supporters’ clubs was matched by the Irish Football Association.
Gary McAllister from AONISC said: “We wanted to help keep fans safe and play our part in saving lives in the event of an emergency.
“The supporters’ clubs raised funds through a prize draw and the Irish FA match funded what we raised and that allowed us to buy four defibrillators which have been installed in areas where fans gather on match days.
“We were very happy to work with the British Heart Foundation in Northern Ireland to help save lives though these defibrillators.”
Head of BHF Northern Ireland Fearghal McKinney said: “We’re delighted the supporters’ clubs have teamed up with BHF NI, with match funding from the Irish FA, to install these potentially life-saving defibrillators in the area around the stadium.
"There’s always an electric atmosphere on match days and these defibrillators at the stadium will undoubtedly help save lives.
“Having access to defibrillators in public places and in our communities has already saved lives and the network of public access defibrillators is growing all the time."
A defibrillator is a device that gives a high energy electric shock to the heart of someone who is in cardiac arrest. This high energy shock is called defibrillation, and it's an essential part in trying to save the life of someone who is in cardiac arrest.
Image: Gary McAllister and Andy Cuthbert from the Amalgamation of Official Northern Ireland Supporters’ Clubs were joined by Fearghal McKinney of British Heart Foundation NI and James Thompson of the Irish FA Foundation at the unveiling of the new defibrillator at Adelaide rail halt.
