Thursday 7th August 2014 – 11.30am – Claire Brown.
The new ASDA on the Stratford Road in Shirley is the latest Birmingham store of the supermarket chain to bag a life-saving piece of kit.
Defibrillators are being installed in all of ASDA’s stores throughout the country in conjunction with the British Heart Foundation. A defibrillator is a device that could restart the heart of someone who suffers a cardiac arrest.
A total of 13 ASDA stores in Birmingham now have a defibrillator and staff trained in the device thanks to West Midlands Ambulance Service. Tuesday (5th August) was the turn of the Shirley store, which opened in May, and is the final Birmingham store to go live with the project.
Anne Foley, the Trust’s Community Defibrillator Facilitator, trained a total of 11 staff in basic first aid and how to use the defibrillator. The newly trained staff work in various departments, from the cashier desk to the chilled section, and are the stores first aiders who are on hand to provide medical help 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Andy Jeynes, the Trust’s Community Response Manager, said: “With around 7,000 customers walking through the doors each day, it’s a great installation for the supermarket as it not only gives peace of mind to the public but to their own staff too. The quicker you start CPR and shock a patient in cardiac arrest with a defibrillator, the better the chances they have of surviving.”
Anne-Marie Hudson, People Services Manager for ASDA Shirley, said: “This is a fantastic opportunity to support the local community and we’re proud to have this device in our store.”
ENDS
Notes to Editor: Pictured (in top photograph left to right) cashier Jane Taylor, Andy Jeynes, Anne-Marie Hudson and Anne Foley.
