VILLAGERS from Devauden met last Tuesday (29th July) to get to grips with their new defibrillator machine. With the help of Beachley's Severn Area Rescue Association team (SARA), residents practiced CPR and using the new kit. The life-saving machine, now housed in several locations across Monmouthshire, was purchased in recent weeks following 18 months of fundraising by community councillors and the village hall committee. The defibrillator has been installed in the former phone box in the centre of the village, after the iconic red box was sold off by BT. Community Councillor Kevin McElroy said: "When we purchased the phone box, we asked villagers what they thought we should do with it. We had some brilliant ideas, but when someone said defibrillator, we couldn't argue with that. "We held several fundraisers and finally managed to get the £2,500 we needed together." Local man Fred Richards gave his time to give the box a facelift with a sanding and a fresh coat of famous red paint. The automated external defibrillator works alongside the ambulance service, users only being given the access code if an ambulance phone operator deems it necessary to shock. The system itself will only admit an electric charge if it senses that a heart rate is out of sync, or has 'quivering' rhythm. The SARA team were on hand to help those present learn some basic CPR and practice using the machine. Describing how essential the defibrillator is, SARA station commander Merv Fleming said to villagers: "Congratulations on taking a giant step forward in ensuring the safety and security of your village. "This is an essential piece of kit. Don't forget that a quivering heart rhythm can happen to anyone, not just grown-ups with dicky hearts. "Three quarters of heart related collapses result in a quivering rhythm, so without one of these, three quarters of heart related collapses are doomed."