First responders at Drakenstein Municipality’s Fire and Rescue Services have expressed their gratitude to the Heart and Stroke Foundation, which recently gifted them with an automated external defibrillator to assist with cardiac arrest procedures during their rescue operations.
The device is used to guide rescue personnel through a sudden cardiac emergency with a simple step-by-step process.
The apparatus contains two “smart pads” that are placed on the upper left chest and right abdominal area and can be used on both adults and children.
It is fitted with adaptive voice instructions and intelligent sensors to facilitate in automatically delivering the right procedure.
Sharon Roziers, health promotion officer at the Heart and Stroke Foundation, said she was honoured to represent the foundation in handing the device over to the fire station in Paarl, as she herself had been “born and bred” in the town.
“When the foundation was looking for an organisation to donate the device to I immediately thought of the fire station in Paarl.
“The work these people do is of the utmost importance, and therefore we must ensure they have the necessary equipment for mitigating any loss of life. I know it will indeed serve its purpose here.”
According to Roziers the manufacturer of the device, Phillips, will provide a demonstration at the fire station and ensure the apparatus is serviced when required.
Dereck Peceur, chief of operations at Fire and Rescue Services, expressed the division’s gratitude to the foundation and said the device will certainly facilitate their life-saving operations.
