Blackburn's North Wensley Fold area has been identified as the second worst area in the UK for accessing a defibrillator.
The British Heart Foundation (BHF) has pinpointed this part of the town as a "defibrillator desert" after analysing national data about where life-saving equipment is located.
The charity is now urging community groups to apply for a free defibrillator to be installed in the area.
The defibrillators, which can help increase a cardiac arrest victim’s chances of survival, will be funded by the BHF through its Community Defibrillator Funding Programme.
A "guardian" from each group will oversee the equipment.
In parts of North Wensley Fold, the average retrieval time for a defibrillator is four minutes and 48 seconds.
The average walking distance to a defibrillator is 420 metres.
The BHF has stressed the importance of quick access to a defibrillator, stating that every minute without cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and defibrillation reduces the chance of survival by up to 10 per cent.
This year, the BHF is making 320 defibrillator packages available to communities across the UK, with priority given to areas with the greatest need.
The programme, which launched in 2023, successfully placed 300 defibrillators across the UK.
Dr Charmaine Griffiths, chief executive of the BHF, said: "Every defibrillator has the power to save a life – that's why I’m thrilled that we're able to fully fund 320 of these lifesaving devices for the areas that need it most.
"When someone has a cardiac arrest, every second counts – early access to a defibrillator is vital to give someone the best chance of survival.
"Although we have made progress, there are still too many communities that lack quick and easy access to a defibrillator.
"With the reopening of this fund, more communities will now have access to a defibrillator that can save lives."
The charity has a long history of funding public-access defibrillators for communities.
Their Nation of Lifesavers scheme has helped install nearly 3,500 devices in the UK since 2014.
They are particularly keen to receive applications from community groups in ten areas across England, including North Wensley Fold.
These areas have no defibrillator registered on The Circuit, the national defibrillator network.
The BHF fears that gaps in the map of defibrillators are putting lives at risk.
They hope the programme will help reduce these defibrillator gaps and improve survival rates from out-of-hospital cardiac arrests.
The charity will ensure that each defibrillator is registered on The Circuit so that ambulance services can direct others to the nearest available defibrillator in the event of a cardiac arrest.
Local areas awarded a defibrillator will receive the equipment, a cabinet, and covered installation costs, and communities can order future replacement parts free of charge when they expire or are used in a rescue.
Communities are invited to apply for their free defibrillator on the BHF website.
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