Defibrillator investment will help save many lives

In October 2014, senior director of Cliff Bradley & Sons Funeral Directors, Carlton Bradley, purchased two lifesaving devices from the company’s local charity, Lincolnshire Integrated Voluntary Emergency Services (LIVES).

No matter where or when sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) strikes, early use of a defibrillator can save lives. In fact, it is proven to be the only effective treatment for SCA. In the UK, approximately 30,000 people suffer cardiac arrest outside hospital each year and sadly only 7% of victims survive.

Carlton said: “We get many comments from members of the public and clients when they find out we have two AEDs (Automated External Defibrillator). We mainly get asked why would we need them in our line of work, but as funeral directors, we care for a large proportion of some very rural locations in and around Gainsborough and the surrounding villages, which are often many miles from emergency help.

“I decided that it would be a good idea to have a defibrillator at our office and carry a second defibrillator with us during funeral services in case a family member or mourner suffered a cardiac arrest. Fortunately we haven’t been in this situation, but are all too aware that it’s happened to a number of our colleagues from other firms.”

John Pinder, Managing Director of family firm W E Pinder & Son in Bawtry, unfortunately has experienced first-hand this sudden event.

“On our arrival at a local church I was faced with a small crowd of people performing CPR on another mourner. Following this upsetting experience I spoke with my good friend and fellow funeral director Carlton about defibrillators and LIVES. I subsequently decided to purchase this life saving equipment for my company.

Kirsty Raywood, of LIVES, said: “Sudden cardiac arrest is one of the UK’s biggest killers, and yet statistics show that most of the British public are unaware of the life-saving difference they can make by performing CPR and defibrillation. Sadly only one in 10 people survive an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. Like a lot of other medical emergencies, the potential for saving a life is dependent upon time; the faster help can be obtained the better the chance of survival.”

Carlton explained: “I’m committed to train 100% of our team in CPR and using an AED, it’s a simple skill almost anyone can perform yet could make such a huge difference to someone’s chances of survival. It’s great to see so many defibrillators now in the community as well, which can be accessed by members of the public in an emergency.”

He added: “LIVES is an amazing charity, its corporate training has been fantastic, its approach, flexibility and passion is exemplary.”

This year, LIVES will train hundreds of individuals in how to use an AED when a cardiac arrest strikes. By doing so, LIVES hopes to improve the survival rate for sudden cardiac arrests across Lincolnshire.

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