Burton and South Derbyshire College students get hands-on to save lives

Public Services students at Burton and South Derbyshire College are working alongside the British Heart Foundation to deliver Heart Start training to students and staff across the College.

Over 2000 students are receiving the training during 14^th-18^th October, providing them with the skills to save a life before an ambulance arrives.

The Heart Start course is a training session that covers how to recognise a heart attack and a cardiac arrest, how to help an unconscious person and how to perform CPR.

The week of training coincides with Restart a Heart Day on Wednesday 16^th October, an annual event organised by the British Heart Foundation, Resuscitation Council, St John Ambulance, the British Red Cross and West Midlands Ambulance Service.

The event is designed to bring together schools, charities, emergency services, volunteers and private trainers on and around 16^th October to teach CPR and defibrillation. The aim is to raise awareness about cardiac arrest and helps people to learn CPR, giving them life-saving skills and the confidence to use them.

Public Services students who have previously undergone the training will assist in the delivery of the sessions. Burton and South Derbyshire College’s Public Services courses give students the skills and qualities needed to be an effective member of the protective services, including the police, fire, ambulance, prison and military services. The College’s partnerships with local services ensure students are gaining real world experience that will be required for success in their future careers.

Rob Stevenson, Public Services Lecturer at Burton and South Derbyshire College said: “In my spare time, I am a co-ordinator for the Community First Responders Team, which involves responding to local emergency calls and providing life-saving first aid in those vital minutes before an ambulance arrives. I am passionate about supporting the government’s drive to bring first aid back to the classroom, ensuring young people are armed with life-saving first aid skills. Our public services students will require these skills as part of their future careers and are gaining a lot from passing their skills on to others.”