Coming in 2023

 In the UK each year, many thousands of people suffer a cardiac arrest which, unlike a heart attack, is when their heart suddenly stops beating. Around 80% of these occur at home and the remainder in public places. Of those in whom the Emergency Services attempt resuscitation, only around 10% survive to leave hospital alive. Scandinavian countries have much better rates of survival than the UK, because more people attempt CPR.

In the UK, people who have had a cardiac arrest would have a greater chance of survival if someone had started CPR (Cardio-Pulmonary Resuscitation) before the Emergency Services arrive. But you may well ask, how do people get to learn how to do CPR? This is what the Kingsbridge Estuary Rotary Club have been teaching local people for over 10 years.

The Club are now looking for interested people who have the time and dedication to help them continue this hugely worthwhile process and teach local people CPR. The following are a few questions and answers that we thought might help provide some details about joining this initiative.

What does being a trainer mean?

• It will involve teaching the public the following skills:

• How to put someone into the recovery position
• How to do CPR using mannikins

What training will I receive to help me become a trainer?

• You will be given some reading material and then face-to-face training how to teach the skills required. The key skills you will be expected to teach are:

• How to recognise somebody who is unresponsive but breathing normally and putting them into the recovery position. We allow people to practice on each other!

• How to recognise someone who is unresponsive and not breathing or breathing in an abnormal way (the definition of a cardiac arrest) and starting CPR. We don’t allow them to practice on each other, we use mannikins.

What will the training consist of?

• At first you will be expected to go through a few presentations covering how to teach people CPR. Once these have been completed, you will be shown as part of a small group, how to teach CPR to members of the public.
  
• As you become more confident you will train others under supervision before being allow to ‘go solo’ as part of the training team.  

Who will I be training?

• Almost all members of the public, from those in their very early teens, with no upper age limit! In the past the Club have trained Scouts, members of the Rugby Club, Police cadets, students at Kingsbridge Community College, Kingsbridge Ramblers, members of Hope Cove Lifeboat crew, local villagers, and many others, over 1600 people in total.

What is the time commitment?

• It is difficult to be absolutely accurate as it will depend on how many courses we run once we have restarted training, how many members of ‘the Team’ we have and local demand. The course is run in the evening, starting around 7pm. The duration is currently being looked at but previously it has all been finished by 9pm.
• In the past we have run a course on average once per month, except for the school summer holiday period. You will not be expected to participate in every course and experienced members of the team will do 4-6 courses per year.

What do you think? Have you got the time to spare to participate in teaching a life-saving skill? If so, contact Beverley.

One final point, to know that the training you have given may save someone’s life, that feeling cannot be put into words. It’s a very special thing.