Catering for all eventualities

Date published: 25 July 2014


CARING kitchen staff have installed two life-saving defibrillators at Saddleworth School for community use.

The team of four — Pam Morris, Ashleigh Chastney, Lauren Kelly and Caroline Vongeyer — have raised around £1,500 for the new equipment at the Uppermill school.

One automated external defibrillator will be located in the school reception and another in the PE department, where they will be accessible to staff, pupils and the public who use the school.

With voice prompts to guide the user, the equipment delivers an electric shock to a person’s heart in cardiac arrest to improve their chances of survival while waiting for an ambulance.

The fund-raisers explained: “We were told on a first-aid training course that there should be at least one defibrillator in every school — but we didn’t have one.

“We decided we needed to change that so we started raising money. We had a ‘Hearts For Hearts’ biscuits and cupcakes sale for Valentine’s Day, sold cakes for Comic Relief and then ‘Bunnies for Monies’ at Easter.

“We were aiming to just get one defibrillator but we’re so pleased we’ve got enough money for two. Anyone can use them and they are so important to help save lives.”

The defibrillators are kept in cabinets, which have been provided by the North-West Ambulance Service (NWAS) as they help to install more across the region.

Acting school nurse Kat Watson liaised with paramedic Steve Nicholls, community resuscitation development officer for the NWAS, to arrange the purchase and staff training.
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