LESSONS in lifesaving will be held in Frome this weekend to teach people how to use the 21 defibrillators now installed around the town.
Special CPR training sessions will be held at the Cheese and Grain this Saturday to show people how to use the lifesaving devices. The sessions are free, open to everyone, and will start at 9.45am and 11.15am.
Frome’s network of defibrillators has now reached a total of 21 devices thanks to the efforts of Friends of Frome Hospital and £60,000 in donations from local people.
Friends of Frome Hospital trustee Derek Trick, who has spearheaded the project said, “A cardiac arrest can happen to anyone, at anytime, anywhere, whether at home or out and about somewhere. It is most important that people with little or no medical knowledge can at least address a situation calmly and undertake some basic procedures to help. That is the premise for the Saturday’s training sessions.”
The publicly available defibrillators (PADs) are in public places throughout the town, and can be used by anyone at any time in the event of someone having a cardiac arrest nearby.
An estimated 60,000 people have a cardiac arrest at home or in public each year in the UK and, if used quickly, a defibrillator can give victims an 80% chance of survival – a massive 16 times higher than CPR alone. The survival rate drops by 14% for each minute that passes.
Derek continued, “In our previous training sessions we have made about 500 people aware of what to do in an unexpected cardiac trauma situation. With a population of 30,000 here in Frome, we still have a lot of educating in the community to do.
“If a defibrillator can be brought quickly to the patient, it can be highly beneficial in assisting recovery until paramedics arrive on the scene. Frome’s PAD network allows one of these simple-to-use ‘talk you through it’ defibrillators to be accessed within minutes.
“The training sessions will explain CPR techniques, the handling of the cardiac trauma situation and use of a defibrillator.
“This has truly been a community venture. Over the years the public have donated so generously to the Friends of Frome Hospital, the business community have stepped up to the mark to ensure the physical installation of the units, and the elected Trustees of the Friends have wisely invested £60,000 of community donations into the Frome Community Defibrillator Scheme.
“Entry to the Cheese and Grain on Saturday is free, but there will be retiring collection buckets to help with further training sessions, and for the maintenance of the PAD installations around the town. The Friends of Frome Hospital look forward to seeing a good turnout of younger and older folk alike!”
Villages near Frome, including Mells, Rode, Witham Friary and Wanstrow, also have PADs and residents are invited to attend Saturday’s sessions.
The sessions take place at 9.45am and 11.15am on Saturday 5th November at the Cheese and Grain.
