Tuesday 8th December 2015 – 12.15pm – Jamie Arrowsmith.
A group of motorway service stations have made sure they are in pole position to save a life in the future after taking delivery of lifesaving machines.
Moto has taken delivery of four Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs), donated by West Midlands Ambulance Service, at sites on the M42 and M6.
Service stations at Tamworth (M42, junction 10), Cannock (M6, between junctions 10a and 11 – north and southbound) and Stafford (between junctions 14 and 15 – northbound) are now equipped with AEDs that can restart a person’s heart following a cardiac arrest.
The defibrillators will help to give the tens of thousands of motorists who use the region’s motorways each day the best chance of survival should they suffer a cardiac arrest and comes on the back of a pioneering project launched with the Central Motorway Police Group (CMPG) in May. As part of that project, AEDs were installed in all 27 police vehicles that the CMPG operates across the motorway network.
West Midlands Ambulance Service Community Defibrillator Facillitator, Keith Dawson, said: “The chance of a person surviving a cardiac arrest falls by 10 per cent for every minute that passes without an AED being used.
“Survival rates can be as high as 75 per cent when patients are treated with the right care and a defibrillator in time.
“Therefore it is excellent news that Moto are now housing AEDs at their sites across the West Midlands to help give motorists the best chance of survival.”
Jonathan Hayes, Moto Risk Management Director said: “We recognise the importance of being able to administer immediate help to someone who has suffered a cardiac arrest and are therefore delighted to play a role in bringing valuable life-saving equipment to our Midlands service areas.”
West Midlands Ambulance Service will also be offering training to Moto staff on how to use the AEDs, which will be available 24/7.
Ends
Notes to Editors:
Picture – WMAS’ Keith Dawson hands over a defibrillator to Moto Area General Manager Ian Kernighan at Tamworth Services on the M42.
If used, please credit the image to West Midlands Ambulance Service.