Heartstart Creetown Youth Group

More Lifesavers in Creetown

Monday saw the Creetown Youth Group invite the team from Heartstart to run an Emergency Life Support training session for them.  Team members David Hirst, Anne Hirst and Margaret McAllister, together with a member of the Wigtownshire Health and Wellbeing team, Samantha O’Malley, presented the 2 hour hands on course to 25 participants covering recognition of a Heart Attack, how to deal with it (including the use of a defibrillator) how to deal with someone who is unconscious, is choking or has severe bleeding.

Having mastered the simple techniques which save lives, the Youth Group members were presented with Certificates. This was the third course in Creetown in recent weeks, following the siting of their first defibrillator at the Waverley Hall and means there are now 65 people in the village trained in its use. Creetown Initiative are arranging further courses after Christmas and there are plans by the Creetown Gala Committee to install another defibrillator in the near future. These will vastly improve survival rates following a Heart Attack from less than 10% to as much as 50%.

Courses in other areas of Dumfries & Galloway can be arranged through David Hirst on 01988 700637 or email davidhirsthome@gmail.com. Instructors are volunteers so the only costs are for travel expenses and in some cases, such as this one, can be covered by the NHS.