Pupils at Drumlanrig school have been learning some life-saving skills this week, as part of a Scottish Fire and Rescue Service initiative.
On Monday, fire ghters from the Howdenbank station took their message into the classroom for two sessions focusing on cardiopulmonary resucitation (CPR). And their visit, which it is hoped will be the first of several at schools in the town, follows local sudden heart failure awareness charity Avril’s Trust’s recent successful fund-raising campaign which will ensure every school in Hawick has a defbrillator.
And with local firefighters assisting with out-of-hospital cardiac arrests on a regular basis, they are keen to pass on their life-saving techniques.
Green Watch crew commander Donald Rudkin explained: “We co-respond to cardiac arrest call-outs in the Hawick area along with the Scottish Ambulance Service. Although it is them primarily, we are actually involved in many of the incidents and, on occasion, first responders.”
He went on: “As a public service, CPR training is another tool we can offer, and off the back of the great work of Avril’s Trust, we’ve been invited to go into the schools and teach the kids.”
The sessions with youngsters in primary six and seven at Drumlanrig included recognising signs of a cardiac arrest, and Mr Rudkin commented: “The kids were great, really responsive, and hopefully it will be something that we do on a regular basis.”
Drumlanrig head teacher Jeanette Gordon told us: “I think it’s a great initiative and I’m very happy to support it and work with Avril’s Trust to promote the defibrillator project. Our staff are also to be given CPR training.”
The scheme is being run in partnership with the British Heart Foundation, which will provide equipment for every school in Hawick.
Outlining the initiative’s wider aim, Mr Rudkin added: “We will provide CPR training to anybody who wants it. The more awareness that people have, the better chance someone has of surviving.”
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