Free events could save life of someone having cardiac arrest

ISLANDERS have the chance to learn life-saving CPR skills on a course next week.

St Stephen’s Community Centre will be used on Tuesday morning next week to host a workshops teaching people CPR and how to use a defibrillator. It is a joint effort by the Cardiac Action Group and St John Ambulance Guernsey. Left to right: Dave Inglis, chairman of Age Concern, Gerry Le Roy, from the Cardiac Action Group, Alan Morton and Pam Warwick, the manageress of the centre. (Picture by Sophie Rabey, 26035106)

The events are forming part of Guernsey Restart a Heart Week, which starts on Monday.

Cardiac Action Group community resuscitation development officer Mike Froome has organised the week-long event.

He will be working with volunteers from St John Ambulance Guernsey and community centres across the island offering free one-hour cardiopulmonary resuscitation and automated external defibrillator sessions.

‘Currently, European statistics show only one in 10 people will survive an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest,’ he said.

Last year more than 300 people took part in the training.

Chief ambulance officer Mark Mapp said the skills were very important.

‘Doing CPR and using an AED are simple but life-saving skills which we believe everyone in the community should learn,’ he said.

‘The St John Emergency Ambulance Service responds to an average of six cardiac arrests each month.

‘A patient’s chances of surviving a cardiac arrest improve if there is early recognition, early CPR, early use of an AED and early advanced pre-hospital care from a paramedic.’

Monday’s sessions have already been fully booked, but on Tuesday there are one-hour sessions at St Stephen’s Community Centre at 9.30am and 10.45am, at St Andrew’s Community Centre at 1.30pm and at Cobo Community Centre at 6.30pm.

On Wednesday, there will be sessions at St Saviour’s Community Centre at 1.30pm and 2.45pm and at St Paul’s Methodist Church Hall at 6pm.

There will also be a public demonstration and practice session from 11.45pm until 1.30pm in Market Square.

On Thursday there are one-hour sessions at the cardiac rehabilitation healthy lifestyle centre at Beau Sejour at 11am, at Vale Douzaine Room at 1.30pm and at the Professor Shaw Community Centre, St Martin’s, at 7.30pm.

On Friday there are sessions at 12.30pm, 2pm and 7pm at Styx Community Centre and at 4pm and 5.15pm at L’Islet Salvation Army.

The week is rounded off with a session a week today at 10.30am at the Heart Support Group at La Nouvelle Maraitaine.

. To book a free one hour session of get more information email info@cag.org.gg or call 07781 129539.