The Emergency Ambulance Service, St John volunteers and the Guernsey Cardiac Action Group are working together to encourage more people to learn life-saving CPR skills during Restart A Heart Week.

When someone collapses and stops breathing normally, it is important to dial 999, perform hands-only CPR and send someone for a defibrillator (AED), if one is available.

Anyone can be affected by a cardiac arrest at any time and without intervention the person will quickly die, which is why St John is working with the Cardiac Action Group to give islanders the opportunity to learn life-saving skills during 2021 Restart a Heart Week.

The Guernsey Cardiac Action Group (CAG) together with Emergency Ambulance Service clinicians and St John volunteers will be giving free CPR and AED demonstrations at venues around Guernsey (full list below) from Monday 11^th to Saturday 16^th October.

To book* a place on one of these events call 07781 129539 or email info@cag.org.gg

There is also a public ‘drop-in’ demonstration taking place in Town Church Square, St Peter Port on Saturday 17^th October between 11am – 3pm, where members of the public can get hands on.

Community Resuscitation Development Officer Mike Froome has organised this free week-long event as part of the CAG initiative to ensure all sections of the community have the opportunity to get hands on experience and gain the skills and confidence to help save a life.

Mike Froome said: “When someone has a cardiac arrest, the bystander’s involvement can be crucial in saving a life and the quality of that person’s life. Immediate hands only CPR and use of an AED, while you are waiting for the ambulance to arrive can give the patient the best chance of life, which is why Restart A Heart Week is so important. We are delighted to be working with different community groups and local football clubs to get as many people as possible trained.”Chief Ambulance Officer, Mark Mapp said: “Knowing what to do when someone collapses and stops breathing can make the difference between a life lost and a life saved, which is

why CPR is so important. There have been a number of cases in Guernsey in recent years where people have recognised someone is having a cardiac arrest and have done early CPR, while someone else is calling 999 for an ambulance.”

Restart A Heart is an annual initiative led by the Resuscitation Council UK. In partnership with the British Heart Foundation, British Red Cross, St John Ambulance and alliance of ambulance services. In 2017 the initiative went global with the formation of World Restart a Heart Day which takes place on 16^th October every year with health organisations from all over the world working together to increase public awareness of cardiac arrests and increase the number of people trained in life saving CPR.

Please call 07781 129539 to book the sessions below.