Article By Stacey Cann
The English Premier League is installing 2000 Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) into its grass roots football centres across England and Wales.
The Premier League Defibrillator Fund is an investment from the Premier League to install AEDs at thousands of grass roots centres with the aim of helping to save the life of someone suffering a sudden cardiac arrest.
Football facilities can apply for funding providing they meet eligibility criteria. It is estimated that over 2000 facilities will benefit from the fund.
This is fantastic news as it will raise awareness of life saving CPR and defibrillation, as well as giving immediate access to the lifesaving equipment in case of spontaneous collapse.
Defibrillators can increase the chance of survival in a cardiac arrest by upto 75% and forms the 3rd step in the Chain of Survival. The first steps to saving a life are early recognition and immediate good quality CPR. Once starting CPR, if you can get a defibrillator on within the first 4 minutes, it gives that person the best possible chance of survival with good quality of life.
The Premier League’s roll out of this equipment is excellent news for children and parents using the centres. There have been a number of tragic incidents involving children at football training over the last few years, including nine year old Jordan Banks who suffered cardiac arrest at football training, having been struck by lightning.
An incident at the UEFA European Championship tournament which involved Christian Eriksen collapsing on the pitch with a sudden cardiac arrest has helped to highlight the importance of good quality early CPR & defibrillation.
Daisy First Aid have used this example when teaching children up and down the country as part of their First Aid Schools package.
Other footballers and pundits whose lives have been saved by immediate CPR include; Fabrice Muamba, David Ginola, and Glen Hoddle.
Stacey runs Daisy First Aid Redhill, Croydon & Crawley. She offers classes to parents, childcare professionals, schools and children’s activity providers – including football clubs. She is a mum of 3, whose daughter plays for East Surrey Girls FC.
Find your local Daisy First Aid Trainer to book a class for your children/football team or even yourself.