LOCAL PEOPLE LEARN HOW TO SAVE LIVES
Local people can learn how to help save the life of someone having a heart attack at free training sessions taking place in Warwickshire next week.
Arrhythmia Alliance, along with the West Midlands Ambulance Service, will run two sessions, one in Shipston-on-Stour and the other in Newbold-on-Stour.
The sessions accompany a campaign by the charity to cut the number of deaths from sudden cardiac arrest (SCA), or the abrupt loss of the heart rhythm.
As part of the campaign, it is aiming to install Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs), which are used to restore the heart rhythm, in public places across the country.
Arrhythmia Alliance has already installed four public AEDs in Shipston-on-Stour, two in Stratford-upon-Avon and one in Newbold-on-Stour, all funded by local communities and businesses. It is running the two sessions to train local people how to use them.
The classes will take place at Shipston Sports Club on Tuesday February 23 and Newbold Village Hall on Thursday February 25. They run from 6.30pm to 8.30pm and are free to attend.
Arrhythmia Alliance trustee, Trudie Lobban said: "This is a fantastic initiative that will save lives. AEDs can literally mean the difference between life and death when someone has suffered a sudden cardiac arrest.
"I believe these should be located in all towns, especially at public and sporting venues and remote areas where it may take paramedics longer to get there.
"This is such an important project for us and one that will make a huge impact. We are working with ambulance and paramedic services across the country to implement as many AEDs as possible.
"If your loved one experienced a Sudden Cardiac Arrest, you would want to have an AED as close by as possible to improve their chance of survival."
AEDs are stored in external weatherproof cabinets, with security codes that can only be obtained by calling 999 when an emergency happens.
Emergency operators then talk the caller through how to use the device while an ambulance is on the way, saving time and giving the patient a better chance of survival.
For more information on the training sessions call Ben Fry on 01789 451830 or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .
Arrhythmia Alliance works to raise awareness of cardiac arrhythmia and to promote timely and effective diagnosis and treatment leading to an improved quality of life. For more information, visit www.heartrhythmcharity.org.uk.
By Bethan Hill, Community Newswire
