Businesses urged to invest in first-aid equipment (From Gazette Series)

St John Ambulance urges businesses to invest in first-aid equipment

8:50am Saturday 4th February 2012 in Thornbury news By Marion Sauvebois

A CHARITY is urging businesses across the region to invest in vital first-aid kit and make their staff undergo simple life-saving training.

St John Ambulance called on doctor and dentist surgeries, leisure facilities and shopping centres last week to help prevent untimely deaths by keeping an Automated External Defibrillator (AED) on site at all times.

An AED is designed to shock the heart back into action in the minutes following a cardiac arrest and can be operated by anyone, regardless of their first-aid knowledge.

To mark National Heart Month, the charity is offering organisations the opportunity to buy a defibrillator and receive training sessions for up to eight people for £1,695, as part of a one-off package.

St John Ambulance South West AED co-ordinator Kim George said: "St John Ambulance believes that no one should die because of a lack of first-aid when they need it.

"Defibrillators are an important part of first-aid and we encourage any business or organisation to get one. It could be the difference between a life lost and a life saved."

In the UK, one person dies every six minutes from a heart attack and as many as one in three people will die before they reach the hospital. For each minute that passes without defibrillation, the chances of survival fall by up to ten per cent.

She added: "This is a fantastic package offering all you need to have an AED on site with confidently trained staff but in an emergency anyone can use as it as the machine talks you through the process.

"The more AEDs that are located throughout the county the more lives that can be saved."

Anyone interested in purchasing a defibrillator should contact St John Ambulance on 0844 324 5535.

AED training and requalification courses are delivered at the charity’s training centre at Aztec West in Almondsbury.