By Isle of Wight Observer
The Isle of Wight Ambulance Service is marking ten years of helping equip Island children with the skills and confidence to save a life. To celebrate ‘Restart a Heart’ Day, on October 16, staff and volunteers welcomed more than 550 pupils, from 17 schools, to fire stations across the Island, where they learned how to carry out CPR and use a defibrillator. More than 10,000 children have been trained over the past decade through the ambulance Training & Community Response services.
The sessions aim not only to teach young people what to do if someone suffers a cardiac arrest, but to give them the confidence to act. Eight in ten out‑of‑hospital cardiac arrests happen at home, meaning the person who needs help is often a loved one. Starting CPR, while an ambulance is on its way, can significantly increase someone’s chance of survival, especially with more public access defibrillators now available.
Louise Walker, head of Education and Community Response, said teaching CPR is vital to improving survival. She added that young people often need reassurance that doing something is better than doing nothing.
Laura Summers knows how important that quick action can be. She suffered a cardiac arrest at the school where she worked, and survived because colleagues immediately began CPR and used a defibrillator. As part of this year’s activities, she visited Newport Fire Station to thank children for learning a skill that could one day save a life.
The training forms part of Small Island, Big Heart, which increases access to CPR training, public access defibrillators, and support for survivors through the Life After Cardiac Arrest network.
Mal Butler