The First Responder Scheme ensures a volunteer armed with a defibrillator can help heart attack victims within minutes.

Every single minute that passes we are losing time and losing the chance to bring someone back David Napier, British Heart Foundation director

Up to a dozen people have been saved by the scheme in Wales in the last two years, according to the British Heart Foundation's director David Napier.

Already the project has been taken up by more than 30 groups or organisations.

Staff at the National Botanic Garden of Wales in Carmarthenshire are the latest to have been trained and given a defibrillator.

"Every single minute that passes we are losing time and losing the chance to bring someone back," said Mr Napier.

Race against time

Usually a 12-strong group will respond to a call within a two-mile radius.

Groups in Gower, Crymych in Pembrokeshire and Rhayader in Powys have been trained and given a �2,500 defibrillator.

The charity estimates 270,000 people suffer a heart attack every year - 46% of those are fatal.

And 30% of people will die before reaching hospital, says the BHF.

In the past the charity has given machines to front-line emergency services and now they are being extended to a network of groups.

Defibrillators have also been donated to railway stations, airports as well as leisure centres and shopping malls.

"Every scheme has to be approved by the ambulance service, this is in conjunction with them - not instead of," said Mr Napier.

Eight-minute response

Getting to an emergency call within eight minutes is a priority in order to save lives.

"There are some areas in mid-Wales or rural Wales where it is impossible to get there within that time."

Mr Napier said the First Responders, who work in pairs, may get to a victim first but they do not replace the awaited ambulance.

The volunteers, who receive no pay, would be paged.

The machine cannot be used on someone if there is not an urgent need.

"It will not give a shock unless there is a problem," said Mr Napier.

Team trained

A total of 10 people at the National Botanic Garden of Wales have been trained to use the defibrillator.

It has been donated to the tourist attraction after money was raised by the Cynwyl Elfed Young Farmers Group.

"We hope we never have to use the defibrillator," said Owen Jenkins, spokesman for the National Botanic Garden.

The donation of the defibrillator, which took place on Monday, is part of an awareness-raising day organised by the British Heart Foundation.

Another defibrillator for Carmarthenshire, which has not been assigned to a group, has also been funded.