Tuesday 15th July – 8.25pm – Chris Kowalik.
A town in Shropshire has its own public access defibrillator following a successful fundraising campaign.
Organised by Community First Responders Colin Marlow and Robin Bennett, they rattled collecting buckets in Much Wenlock. Pubs and businesses in the town added sponsorship to buy the device that could restart the heart of someone who suffers a cardiac arrest. There was even a donation from a pensioner of her winter fuel allowance.
On Monday 23rd June, fourteen volunteers were trained in its use by West Midlands Ambulance Service. Some of the fundraisers and sponsors visited the training session at the town’s Priory Hall.
The machine will be housed in a secure yet accessible cabinet on the wall of Much Wenlock’s fire station. In the event of a cardiac arrest, a call to 999 will not only result in an emergency ambulance vehicle being sent, but instructions will be given on how to access the defibrillator.
Cliff Medlicott, West Midlands Ambulance Service’s Community Response Manager for Shropshire, said: “For every minute that someone is in cardiac arrest, their chance of survival diminishes by ten per cent. CPR and defibrillation in the early stages of cardiac arrest could save their life and it is something that anyone can do. The defibrillator even speaks to you and tells you what to do.”
A further training session is being organised in Much Wenlock. Anyone interested in learning about CPR and defibrillation call Robin Bennett on (07971) 696157 for more details.
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