Learn how to help save lives at Laois RestartAHeart public meeting

Laois people are about to get a chance to learn how to help save a life, at a nationwide event hosted by the recently formed Portlaoise Community First Responders.

The Irish Heart Foundation has a campaign called #RestartAHeart, and a presentation all about it will take place in Portlaoise Parish Centre in mid October. 

Portlaoise Community First Responders' founder Amanda Wilkinson told the Leinster Express / Laois Live more.

"We invite the public to come along, there will be demonstrations of CPR and information on where defibrillators are around Portlaoise and awareness on how to use them," she said.

The Portlaoise group only formed last Spring on the back of a RTÉ radio interview heard by Amanda, and are now 12 strong, based in the parish centre, and well on their way to being fully trained up by the Order of Malta. They recently received gifts of two free mobile AED defibrillator units from Laois Volunteer Centre. 

"Our training is going very well, we hope to go live in November when we will be on call from the National Ambulance Centre. It is absolutely great how many people volunteered to join. It takes a lot for people to give up their time. We have members from all different backgrounds and several nationalities," Amanda said. 

Among the recruits is Samantha White, a busy wife and mother of two daughters who combines her work as a bookkeeper with volunteer work.

“I heard the same Radio programme that Amanda heard about CFR groups, and then saw her plea in the Leinster Express for those interested in CFR.

“I’ve been keeping up first aid certification in the last several years, to volunteer at certain events as a qualified first aider. Unfortunately though a two year course is not keeping me as practised as I would like, to be able to help someone in Cardiac Arrest so I thought being part of the CFR group with its focus on regular training would up my level of preparedness. 

“The group so far is a fantastic bunch of very busy people from various walks of life and nationalities and backgrounds. A good snapshot of Laois these days. You know what they say about giving a busy person a job, they’ll get it done. That’s the spirit of the newly formed PCFR,” Samantha said.

Community First Responders (CFR) are volunteers who are trained to attend certain types of emergency calls in the area where they live or work. Volunteers for Portlaoise Community First Responders will cover a 5km radius of Lyster Square.

Their aim is to reach a potential life-threatening emergency in the first vital minutes before the ambulance crew arrives. The volunteers help to stabilise the patient and to provide the appropriate care including CPR & defibrillation, until the more highly skilled ambulance crew arrives on scene to take over the treatment.

There are about 18 public defibrillators in Portlaoise. They are at: the Catholic Church, Stradbally Rd, outside Dunamaise Arts Centre, Jones Oil, Laois County Council, Laois Pharmacy, side of Laois Shopping Centre - near Security, Midlands Park Hotel, Midoc Portlaoise, Peoples First Credit Union, Portlaoise Fire Station, Portlaoise Garda Station, Portlaoise Lesure Centre, Portlaoise Library, Portlaoise Prison, outside St Mary’s Hall, Top Square in phone box and at TUSLA.

#RestartAHeart encourages people to Check-Call-Compress-Shock in the event of a cardiac arrest to save a life: • Check: is the person responding or breathing normally? • Call: emergency services on 112 or 999 and listen carefully to the instructions the ambulance call taker provides • Compress: start pressing on the centre of the patient’s chest at a speed of 100-120 compressions per minute and at a depth of two inches or 5cms • Shock: If someone is with you send them to get the nearest AED and get it on to the chest as quickly as possible.

The public event takes place on Thursday, October 17 at 6.30pm in the green roofed Portlaoise Parish Centre, next to St Peter & Paul's Church.