Magpas Air Ambulance deliver life-saving training

October 3, 2021

Magpas Air Ambulance have been working with Cambridge Regional College to deliver CPR and Defibrillator training to students at the Cambridge and Huntingdon campus as part of the Empower Freshers’ Fair.

During the training, the students explored the work of Magpas, learning some alarming statistics of survival rates in the UK for individuals experiencing cardiac arrest. After a short presentation and demonstration of how to perform emergency CPR, the students were able to take to the floor to have a go at carrying out this life-saving treatment for themselves using the resuscitation equipment and defibrillators. In total more than 288 students and staff received the training throughout the week.

Student Engagement Manager, Steve How said: “Being able to offer our students this essential training is invaluable. The students have acquired a new life-skill and have learned, first-hand, that undertaking CPR and using a defibrillator is not as daunting as they might have thought. We are extremely grateful to Magpas for giving our learners this opportunity.”

Magpas Air Ambulance is a charitable organisation that provides pre-hospital emergency care, in the air or on land. It is a 24/7 service that answers an average of four calls a day, across the East of England and the East Midlands. In addition to their emergency work, Magpas works in the community to educate people on the importance of knowing how to perform CPR and use defibrillators to help save the lives of those experiencing cardiac episodes.

Nicola Cooper, Community Training and Engagement Officer, added: “I have been so impressed by the enthusiasm of the learners involved. CPR is such an important skill and watching the learners grow in confidence throughout the session was wonderful to see. Those who attended the training could be a future life saver, so to see this many people trained was extremely satisfying. I look forward to coming back to CRC in the future.”