More people than ever taking first aid classes

As well as trying to ensure nobody in the county was more than 10 minutes away from a life saving device, he had another goal of spreading first aid knowledge across Oxfordshire.

And the divisional responder commander from South Central Ambulance service has seen his Oxford Mail-supported campaign do just that.

In 2013, first aid courses – including how to use a defibrillator – were delivered to 100 people, but in 2014 that figure rose to 500 and this year, he has taught 2,000. The aim is to now add another 4,000 by this time next year.

He said: “Over the last year, my department has delivered these courses to more than 2,000 people in Oxfordshire and we thank the Oxford Mail for being so supportive in making people aware of the defibrillators.

“Interest in attending these first aid sessions has soared and every week I am getting requests to go to village halls to give these sessions.

“I had two ambitions for Oxfordshire: the first was to make sure people are never more than 10 minutes away from a defibrillator and the second was to train as many people in CPR as possible.”

Earlier this year, Yarnton Parish Council, on the back of the Oxford Mail campaign, installed two defibrillators in the village, outside Westlake Pharmacy and outside the village hall at a cost of £3,000.

The move led to two sold-out classes at the village hall earlier this month when community response and liaison training officer Ian Jones, 43, from South Central Ambulance Service, showed people how to save a life.

The classes explained what to do when someone has had a heart attack, and how to use the two defibrillators.

Mr Jones, who has worked for the ambulance service for 15 years, said he was amazed by the community’s interest in first aid.

He said: “I think, in a word, it was just fantastic.

“I think it is really touching that this many people care and there seems to be a community spirit in Yarnton.

“To have so many people raising money for the defibrillator makes Yarnton seem like a really safe place to live.”

Ruth Astall, who has lived in Yarnton for 40 years, booked her place at the class in the hope that one day, the skills learnt in just over an hour could potentially save a life.

She said: “I thought it was very good because I had helped to raise money for the defibrillator at WI Gardening through donations.

“While we were raising money for it, I was asking a lot of questions about how it worked and after this session, I feel a lot of those questions have been answered.

“If a friend ever had a heart attack, I would feel concerned but I thought this session was amazing to boost confidence.”

The classes had a similar effect on retired bank manager Richard Jurd, 66, who said: “I would feel like I can use it now and although the nervousness and adrenaline would kick in, I would feel confident in using the defibrillator after this session.”

The increased popularity in first aid has been echoed in Oxford, so much so that Raegan Shayler, decided this year to teach classes privately.

The 40-year was trained in first aid as a lifeguard in 1991, before moving on to roles including site manager and duty manager at sports clubs and leisure centres across Oxfordshire.

She said: “I really enjoy teaching first aid and it is a very rewarding job when someone comes and does not know anything about first aid and leaves with a great deal of confidence that they may save someone’s life.”

Courses: Access First Aid instructor Raegan Shayler with Vivenne Rounsley 

Sarah Gessey, who has three children, took part in one of Miss Shayler’s classes. She said: “I am here because of the kids and my job as a window cleaner.

“My husband is also a tree surgeon and I feel I just need to know first aid in case anything happens to him or my kids.

“My kids are real outdoor people and they are always hurting themselves when they play outside, so I just need the assurance that I can help them.”

Vivianne Rounsley, a personal trainer who lives in Oxford.said: “My kids are are a little bit older now so I want to know that I will be able to treat them because they are more active and are more likely to get hurt.”

Oxfordshire’s increased interest in first aid is down to accessibility, according to Miss Shayler, who highlighted how someone can learn first aid in less than a day.

She said: “Previously, you had to learn first aid over two or three days but now there are more opportunities to learn skills in just a few hours.”

Charity tells children how to save a life

SCHOOLCHILDREN have been encouraged to learn skills that could save lives as part of a new St John Ambulance scheme.

The charity organised the Big First Aid Lesson in schools across the country and wants every school in Oxfordshire to sign up ahead of the event on Friday, June 12.

It will see a first aid session hosted by television presenter Claudia Winkleman streamed into classrooms. St John Ambulance regional schools and community training manager Chris Cook said: “Like parents and teachers, we want to give children the best start in life by giving every young person the chance to learn first aid. 

“There is nothing worse than feeling helpless in an emergency and although we hope they’ll never need to use these skills, they can be a real lifeline.”

The charity hosted first aid demonstrations at a recruitment and fundraising event in Kidlington on Saturday.

Shoppers in the High Street were taught how to perform CPR and other first aid skills.

How to use a defibrilator

A defibrilator, costing about £1,500, is a resuscitation device designed to shock the heart back into action following a cardiac arrest. 

It should not be used when someone is undergoing a heart attack, because the heart is still beating. 
However during a cardiac arrest, the heart has completely stopped and urgent action is needed to get it beating again. 

1. Call 999 and start CPR. If there are two of you, the other person should run for the defibrillator while one person does CPR. If it is just you, stick to CPR and wait for an ambulance. Defibrillators are code-locked because people could potentially use one and forget to call for an ambulance, so the first step is to call the ambulance so you can get the code to get the defibrillator.

2. To begin CPR, lie the person on their back, and place the heel of one hand at the centre of the person’s chest, then clasp your hands together and position yourself with your shoulders above your hands. Perform compressions at 100-120 beats per minute, in line with the tempo of Staying Alive by the Bee Gees or Another One Bites the Dust by Queen.

3. Once you have opened the defibrillator, you will see two separate pads with symbols on them. One symbol tells you to place the pad on the top right chest, just below the collarbone, and the other on the lower left side of the stomach. When the pads are in place the machine will recognise they are positioned correctly and will tell you to stop doing CPR. It will then analyse the electrical activity of the heart and decide if a shock is needed.

Further tips:
Before using a defibrillator, make sure the person and device is clear of any water. It cannot be used in heavy rain.