Defibrillators (see photo above) have appeared recently in various places in Rye and surrounding villages in order to help treat heart attacks.
But would you know how to use one? There may be instructions, but are you confident about actually using one?
Very recently a woman tripped over the kerb near the Post Office’s Delivery Office just in front of me. She was clearly frail, though uninjured, but needed help getting back on her feet.
I am not strong, but my greater concern was how to lift her carefully without causing other problems, or pain. Luckily a passing, well built motorist stopped and clearly knew how to safely and properly lift someone – and I wished I had.
This Saturday, August 26, it is good to know, therefore, that Rother Responders will demonstrating lifesaving skills including the use of defibrillatrors, from 10:30am to 3pm at 11 High Street in Rye.
Rother Responders work with the ambulance service through the 999 system to help in case of emergencies.
Photo: Rye News library
This does raise an issue often discussed during many years as a school governor: namely, that all school-leavers should be given advanced first aid training. The difficulty of timetabling was always cited, as also the cost. But most of us would consider it an ever more necessary life-skill – as Charles Harkness suggests, the importance of knowing what not to do as much as the help one can give.