Free Defibrillator Awareness Resources
According to the Resuscitation Council UK for every minute that someone’s in cardiac arrest without receiving CPR and having a defibrillator used on them, their chance of survival decreases by 10%. This is one of the reasons that St John Ambulance Cymru, the first aid charity for Wales, has committed to ensuring that people across Wales know how to use the lifesaving equipment.
St John Ambulance Cymru has committed to ensuring that people across Wales are equipped with the knowledge and the confidence to use a defibrillator if necessary. The charity are offering free online courses and demonstration sessions to ensure that everybody in Wales learns the skills needed to help someone in a cardiac arrest.
A cardiac arrest, is when the heart stops beating suddenly. The lack of blood flow to the brain and other organs can cause a person to lose consciousness, become disabled, or even die if not treated immediately.
Darren Murray, Head of Community Operations, explains,
Statistics show that 80% of cardiac arrests happen at home. Statistically, you are more likely to have to carry out CPR on a family member than on a stranger, so Defibruary is the perfect opportunity to learn skills that could mean the difference between life and death for someone you love.
As Wales’s leading first aid charity we are committed to breaking down the stigma surrounding defibrillators, and helping people become more confident to use one in an emergency.
You are able to complete our free Public Access Defibrillator Awareness Course in English or Welsh. Click below for more information about the course or book a place.
Become a defibrillator expert with our first aid training courses
If you want to become even more confident when it comes to using an AED and enjoy hands-on practice with an expert instructor, then we encourage you to take our face-to-face defibrillator training. Recommended to anyone with an interest in first aid, our 1/2 day defibrillator training course will give you the confidence to act quickly and effectively when using an AED. You'll also get a 3 year certificate after you complete the course.
We also offer a range of first aid training courses where you will learn how to use an AED. For example our 3-day first aid at work course which will enable you to become a qualified first aider for your workplace. You will also learn how to use a defibrillator on our emergency first aid at work course, where you will learn how to provide urgent support and prevent a situation from worsening while trained medical professionals make their way to the scene.
Profits from the sale of our training courses and supplies help fund our charitable work, including community and schools’ first aid training, teaching children and young people the skills they need to save a life. When choosing to train with St John Ambulance Cymru you'll get exceptional service whilst supporting your community.