CPR lessons for passengers on Restart a Heart Day
Essex & Herts Air Ambulance (EHAAT) was on-site at London Stansted on Wednesday, October 16, providing free CPR training sessions to travellers in the departure lounge as part of National Restart a Heart Day.
This global initiative, led by the Resuscitation Council, aims to increase the number of people surviving out-of-hospital cardiac arrests by equipping more individuals with life-saving CPR skills.
From 7am to 7pm, EHAAT’s critical care paramedics, pre-hospital care doctors, charity team members, and volunteers taught travellers the essential steps to take when faced with a cardiac arrest.
As they waited for their flights, passengers had the opportunity to practice chest compressions and learn how to use an Automated External Defibrillator (AED) – both crucial skills for saving lives.
Adam Carr, EHAAT’s Clinical Community Lead and a critical care paramedic, said:
“Restart a Heart Day is all about empowering as many people as possible to take action in an emergency.
"Our goal was to ensure that more people feel confident and prepared to help if someone experiences a cardiac arrest.
"We were thrilled to bring this crucial training to the many travellers passing through the airport today.”
Anita Harrison, Customer Operations Director at London Stansted, added:
“We were delighted to support Essex & Herts Air Ambulance for their event at London Stansted to mark National Restart a Heart Day.
"Our commitment to passenger safety is of utmost importance, and by supporting EHAAT and raising awareness about CPR, we hope to make a significant impact in saving lives.
"Having a close relationship with EHAAT, we know the invaluable support it provides to local communities.
"We recently collaborated with them during our Airport Safety Week, which highlighted the importance of safeguarding passengers and employees.
"Airports are bustling places, and it is vital to have individuals trained to respond quickly to medical emergencies.
"Our customer service team serves as our first responders in the terminal, but it is important to note that learning CPR is very simple and only takes a few minutes.
"We hope this event inspired passengers to take a moment to acquire a life-saving skill that could one day save someone’s life.”
Restart a Heart Day is part of a global effort to raise awareness about cardiac arrests and increase the number of people trained in CPR and defibrillation.
With approximately 35,000 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests occurring annually in the UK, widespread CPR knowledge is critical.
EHAAT’s presence at Stansted Airport helped build a community of responders ready to act in a cardiac emergency.
Alison Newman, who works for Skytanking at Stansted, had a cardiac arrest in her kitchen in August 2021, her daughter heard her collapse, called for help, and began to give CPR until the emergency services and Essex & Herts Air Ambulance arrived.
Speaking at the Restart a Heart Day at the airport, Alison said:
“I just think it’s amazing! People are willing to learn CPR but it’s not something that comes into their conscious mind, to actually go and book it. So, the fact that they’re going on holiday, or going away, and they can give five or 10 minutes of their time and learn a really, really useful skill is brilliant.”