The St. John Ambulance brigade is hoping to slash heart attack deaths by peppering Bermuda with automatic defibrillators which can get the heart working again.

The group plans to put one at each end of the Island and work inwards to Hamilton which already has several of the life savers.

Colin Curtis, who is chairman of the charity's council, told Hamilton Rotarians yesterday that in most heart attacks the first ten minutes were critical and that the machines could make the crucial difference.

He said: "For every minute the brain is deprived of oxygenated blood the chances of survival decrease by ten percent.

"It means if you go to Cup Match and have to get to hospital then your chances are really quite remote.

"Which is why we attend with defibrillators. It's critical that the heart is restored as quickly as possible.

"We are trying to cover the remote ends of the island with the new machines as soon as we can."

The latest gadgets bark out instructions and take action if a shock needs to be administered after analysing the heart rhythm of the injured patient.

Cash raised by a father's day raffle organised by Hamilton Rotarians will help pay for one of the machines to be placed at the island's extremities.Mr. Curtis said: "I am hopeful the police stations will have them there because they are open 24 hours a day."

The organisation is looking for other 24-hour sites to host new machines.

Already Renaissance Reinsurance, Miles supermarket, Mid Ocean Club, Stevedoring Services and the Perfume Factory have bought the new model.

"Front Street is covered but there is a need for one in the back of town. There might be a good case for putting one in at the Fire Station in King Street."

"People need to know they are there otherwise they won't be much use."

Mr. Curtis hopes to sit down with the Red Cross to work out where existing machines are and where new ones should be located.

"People have cardiac events all the time - in a great number of cases the availability of the machine would, if not definitely save their lives, it would certainly increase their chances of surviving."

Mr. Curtis urged people to take the three-hour St. John's ambulance course in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and an anti-choking manoeuvre which begins again in the autumn.

And a new set of first aid kits is being brought to the island in October by the St. John Ambulance Brigade tailored to individual needs.

There will be home kits, boat kits (which float and can be attached to a belt), large kits for sports organisations and kits for small, medium and large businesses.

If you need to know more call St. John Ambulance Brigade Headquarters on 236 7831.