Mob shows how Bee Gees hit could help save lives
Last updated at 10:03, Monday, 27 February 2012
CLASSIC disco hit Staying Alive played loud around Barrow town centre as a popular TV advert was re-created to push the message about giving the best CPR resuscitation technique.
Volunteers promoted the British Heart Foundation’s new advertising campaign which features footballer-turned-actor Vinnie Jones.
They demonstrated the “hard and fast” compression technique on mannequins as part of the BHF’s national drive.
The foundation is advising people with no CPR training to ignore the kiss of life in favour of hard and fast compressions in the centre of the chest – in time to the beat of the Bee Gees’ classic song. The volunteers demonstrated the technique in Tesco, The Forum, the indoor market, Boots, Thorntons and outdoors in Dalton Road – and encouraged shoppers to have a go.
Paramedic Dave Webster, the Cumbria lead for the Chain of Survival Partnership, which is funded by the BHF, said: “Everybody has seen the Vinnie Jones Hard and Fast CPR campaign and we thought we would bring that to the streets of Barrow.
“We’re basically just putting the music on and getting down, and pressing hard and fast.
“The response has been absolutely fantastic.
“People have joined in and everybody has seen the advert which has helped raise awareness and basically put a smile on quite a lot of people’s faces.”
The new campaign was launched after a BHF national poll suggested many people felt worried about the giving the kiss of life.
The poll showed almost half were put off from performing CPR because of a lack of knowledge.
Mr Webster said the technique really was as easy as it looked.
He said: “Put the heel of your hand in the centre of the chest and press hard and fast to the tune of Staying Alive at about 100 compressions a minute. It is that simple.
“There is no need to be concerned if you haven’t been trained
“It’s better to do compression only, rather than doing nothing at all.”
Nurse Rani Pothen tried the technique in Dalton Road, after being stopped in the street by Barrow mayor, Councillor John Murphy, who is leading a fundraising campaign to have more defibrillators across the town.
Mrs Pothen said: “Everybody will be aware of what they are doing because of the advert.”
Christine Irvine, of Walney, also gave it a try, and said: “I’ve seen the advert on the TV – I knew what to do because I’d seen that.”
First published at 10:34, Saturday, 25 February 2012
Published by http://www.nwemail.co.uk
Have your say
It would be good to see go on the road across all our towns in South Lakes..
Posted by R Davies on 14 March 2012 at 17:36