“Always better to be looking at it than looking for it!”
Today, pupils were presented a brand new Hearsine SAM350P defibrillator valued at over £1000 as part of the World Police and Fire Games 13 Legacy.
Heartsine, who are based here in Belfast, manufacture this life-saving device and sell/ship to 44 countries around the world in 22 languages.
They think it a “no-brainer” that every school should have a defib on their site, in the case that it is ever needed. They hope it never will be.
3% of our population carries an undetected condition which could cause cardiac arrest at any time. In our school of 400 adults and children, this could mean up to a dozen people are at potential risk.
“You wouldn’t have a school today without fire extinguishers” – HeartSine. The company continues to lobby the local government that every school should be provided with one in the hope that it is never needed. The Belfast Protocol would be best supported if every school did, the in country where this technology was engineered and pioneered!
School would like to sincerely thank Mr Trevor Gordon, father of Jacob in P1 who was instrumental in application for this device on the behalf of our school. His case was emotive, balanced, and convincing to the point we were considered worthy recipients. Many thanks Trevor! We only hope every school gets one of these in due course, in the hope they never need to use it.
Two of our pupils from Mrs Smyth’s class today received the defib at Stormont from our MLA / Minister for Culture, Arts and Leisure. The children were given refreshments in the Long Gallery and then got some photo opportunities and PR shots taken both inside and on the steps. The SAM350P was presented to the Principal Mr Nigel Arnold, along with GIPS pupils by ‘Declan O’Mahoney, Chief Executive of HeartSine Technologies and Sports Minister Carál Ni Chuilín’.
Here are the kids having fun!