Defib training at Route 2 Health

Route 2 Health & Fitness hosted a training course recently, having announced that they have provided the first defibrillator device available for Main Street.

A spokesperson for the gym said: “It is stored at the moment just inside the premises on 41-43 Main Street.

“We are making plans to purchase a heated AED cabinet to store outside the gym to have for the good of the Main Street 24 hours a day for emergencies.

“Jemma McLaughlin arranged to host the course with Catherine Robinson and special guest Rebecca Funston who was the tutor and donor.

“Thanks to everyone who took part in this very beneficial life-saving course.

“Courses will be available throughout the year.”

More people die each year from sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) than in fires, yet it is a legal requirement for public buildings to be equipped with fire extinguishers but not with defibrillators.

“This, however, is not something that will happen overnight, and in the meantime SCA fatalities that could have been prevented with a defibrillator will continue to happen to men, women and children of all ages and fitness or health levels across the world,” continued the spokesperson.

“It is therefore crucial that public access to these devices is increased significantly, and the gifting of defibrillators to our employees is one small step in the right direction.

“Whilst mobile defibrillation technology was first developed in Belfast in the 1960s, as a community we are keen to raise public awareness around the location of devices, which are sold world and to emphasise just how easy they are to use.

We would urge members of the public not only to familiarise themselves with the location of AEDs within their community – at a local school, the gym etc – but also to be assured that defibrillators can be used by absolutely anyone should someone in their company or close proximity collapse with no apparent heartbeat. By monitoring a patient’s heart rhythm an AED can tell the user when to administer an electric shock required to return the heart to its natural rhythm. They are very simple and safe to operate and if used within the first few minutes along with CPR, can make a huge impact.”