Parish to benefit from the provision of another life-saving defibrillator
AN extra potentially life-saving device is to be made available in the community. The local First Responder Group have procured another defibrillator for the parish which will be on hand in the event of an emergency to aid anybody who might suffer a heart attack or stroke or experience choking difficulty.
The new defibrillator is one of handful that is strategically located in fixed positions in different parts of the parish that can be quickly employed to help a persons in distress, pending the arrival of professional paramedics and provide vital early intervention that could be the difference in keeping the person alive in the most serious cases.
The group provide a voluntary support service to the paramedic services in a two pronged approach to help save lives, on top of the provision of the permanently mounted defibrillators that are spread across the parish.
The new one will be at Joe’s shop at the Green Gates, to cover a growing populated area identified by the Group that was lacking a defibrillator.
For some time now mounted defibrillators have been maintained at the Community Centre on Sandy Lane, Saint Fursey’s National School and Flanagan’s on the Dublin Road. Another was located at the Crescent until shameful individuals got their hands on it.
Coupled with the fixed defibrillators the Group also are equipped with a mobile defibrillator which they hold in their protection to go out with when called out by the emergency services.
The volunteers are trained to operate the machine and apply CPR if required or maybe just lend comfort to a patient if they arrive to a scene ahead of the ambulance personnel.
The Group also provide regular training in the use of defibrillators and to administer CPR. They run training courses by-monthly in Saint Fursey’s School , and have also provided fundamental training for senior pupils in the local schools on how to respond and get help in the event of being caught up in an emergency.
The training has had very positive and indeed a lifesaving result very recently. Local lady Grainne Murphy who undertook the course was able to apply her newly acquired CPR skills on taking up a new job in Dublin when a serious heart attack occurred and the person recovered and is doing well..
It is a prime example of what trainees can do and hopefully more might be inspired to undergo training, and if they have some time to join the Group volunteers who go out when they get a call equipped with the mobile defibrillator and their CPR skills to deal with emergencies until the arrival of the professionals.
The Group provide 24 hour call out cover over seven days within the parish taking in as far as the Fane bridge on the Dublin Road down to the Crowne Plaza and back up through the village on the coastal side. Group members are linked into a dedicated number that receives alerts from the Medical Emergency Services, and whoever is free can respond.
The Group operate a buddy system where two responders go out to emergencies Group members make themselves available to hold the Mobile defibrillator for a time that suits to answer calls.
The Group have also engaged with senior primary school children to help cope with an emergency and perhaps down the road might see fit to join in the selfless work that volunteers do to help their fellow men and women who suffer a heart , stroke or choking episode.
During Heart Week in October the Group provided training in CPR for 120 pupils going to the three local schools of Saint Oliver Plunkett’s , Saint Fursey’s and Saint Francis’s and also guidance and instruction on how to gain help if they encounter such a situation.
In quite many cases grandparents help to mind young children and they might run a higher risk of suffering a problem that the Group is trying to counteract. It is important that youngsters know how to call for an ambulance, know or be aware of where the Eircode is in the home, and if possible provide help to the patient.
A spokeswoman said “we are always looking for new volunteers and if anybody is interested in joining the Group or doing the course, please contact Valerie 0868174119 or Emily 0868390666.
The Group was able to purchase the new defibrillator with the proceeds of a recent local bucket collection that yielded E1, 400.