Derry City and Strabane ranks second among Northern Ireland councils for defibrillator coverage per capita at 17.1 devices per 10,000 residents, below the regional average of 21.34.

The council area added 30 defibrillators over the past year, a 13.2 percent increase from 15.1 per 10,000 residents previously.

It places in the top five performers with Ards and North Down, Lisburn and Castlereagh, Antrim and Newtownabbey, Mid and East Antrim, and Newry, Mourne and Down.

A report from defibshop released during Heart Month in February notes improvements in registered defibrillators across Northern Ireland.

The report calls for expanded training and increased confidence in using the devices.

Head of marketing and eCommerce at defibshop Kerry Fairhurst stated that local authorities and communities show commitment to better access.

Fairhurst added that wider coverage, maintenance, and training support higher survival rates from out-of-hospital cardiac arrests.