Brentwood Borough Council now has a lifesaving defibrillator at the Town Hall, in Ingrave Road.
The British Heart Foundation says that when someone goes into a cardiac arrest, every minute without receiving CPR and defibrillation reduces their chance of survival by 10%.
Several qualified First Aiders who work at Brentwood Borough Council have now received full training in CPR and how to use the new defibrillator, which is based in the reception at the Town Hall.
The defibrillator is simple to use with audio and visual commands and can be operated by anyone.
It gives clear voice instructions to the user on how to prepare the patient, how to attach the pads and administer CPR.
It also detects the rhythm of the heart and will only deliver a shock if it is necessary.
Brentwood Borough Council's Chair of the Health and Wellbeing Board, Councillor Olivia Sanders, said: "Every minute counts in an emergency and defibrillators dramatically increase the chance of a person surviving in the event of them suffering from a cardiac arrest.
They can make a vital difference in the first few minutes before an ambulance crew or a responder reaches a patient, so I am pleased that we now have one based in the Town Hall and have staff who are trained to use it should the need ever arise."
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