Friday 11th March 2016 – 11.30am – Claire Brown.
A zoo in the Black Country is helping to keep humans alive thanks to two new additions which arrived this week.
Dudley Zoological Gardens have installed not one but two automated external defibrillators on site; devices used to help restart the heart of someone in cardiac arrest. West Midlands Ambulance Service provided one defibrillator whilst the other was kindly donated by Mytyl Tromans in memory of her late husband who sadly passed away last year.
Mrs Tromans, from Wollaston in Stourbridge, lost her husband Roy in November last year. The couple were married for 47 years and Mrs Tromans wanted to ensure the memory of her husband lived on. On Tuesday 8th March, Mrs Tromans officially handed over the device to Dudley Zoological Gardens. She said: “At Roy’s funeral I asked for donations so that I could buy a defibrillator in his memory. I got in touch with the ambulance service and, as Roy had worked in Dudley all of his life as a Financial Advisor, I decided to donate the defibrillator to the Zoo as they hadn’t got a defibrillator. I wanted it to go somewhere to benefit the general public. In Roy’s memory I’ve achieved something and I hope that the device will help to save a life.”
Mrs Tromans visited the zoo with her daughter Nina and Nina’s partner Dean to officially hand over the defibrillator this week. The Trust’s Community Response Manager Andy Jeynes and paramedic Lee Farley handed over the second device and also trained eight members of staff in basic life support and how to use the defibrillator.
Andy Jeynes said: “With more than 80 staff and thousands of members of the public on site each year it makes perfect sense to have live saving devices on hand to help in times of an emergency.”
Zoo Manager Matt Lewis said: “Sudden cardiac arrest often occurs without warning and we understand getting the right medical treatment within the first few minutes is vital. By installing these defibrillators at the top and bottom of the zoo site means our trained first-aiders will have access to the necessary equipment at all times. We’re thankful to the family of Roy Tromans and West Midlands Ambulance Service for donating two defibrillators and additional training and pleased we can help protect the wellbeing of zoo visitors and staff – although we hope no-one will need to use them.”
Notes to Editor:
Pictured (top photo left to right): Paramedic Lee Farley, Community Response Manager Andy Jeynes, Zoo Curator Rich Brown with Kubwa the giraffe, Nina Tromans, Mytyl Tromans, Dean Banks.
