Inverness garden centre staff learn life-saving skills

STAFF at an Inverness garden centre took customer care to another level recently when a dozen members of its team visited Inverness Fire Station to learn life-saving CPR.

Garden centre staff grow new skills in CPR. Picture: Contributed

GCA destination garden centre of the year, Simpson’s Garden Centre at Inshes, approached the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service to ask about how its staff could get involved in the recently launched partnership between the service and the British Heart Foundation.

The popular local business and its friendly staff are aiming to go that extra mile to help the community by learning these potentially life-saving skills.

Owner Andrew Simpson, said: “We heard about the fire service’s partnership with the British Heart Foundation and thought it would be something we’d like our staff to get involved in.

“We’d like to thank Scottish Fire and Rescue Service for its time and for giving our staff an opportunity to become life-savers.”

All 356 of Scotland’s fire stations are now equipped with CPR self-teach DVDs and manikins thanks to from the BHF (British Heart Foundation).

Around the same time the Scottish Government’s Out of Hospital Cardiac Arrest Strategy was announced, which hopes to save an extra 1000 lives by 2020 by helping to create a nation of life savers.

Its Save a Life for Scotland campaign is the public facing element of that strategy. Today is national Restart A Heart Day (18 October 2016).

Scottish Fire and Rescue Service Watch Manager Derick Graham, said: “We would like to thank the staff at Simpsons for getting involved and become potential lifesavers.

“Our innovative partnership with the British Heart Foundation has given communities right across the country the opportunity to learn life-saving skills.

“Our fire stations now act as a base for local people to learn these vital skills and potentially save someone’s life if they go into cardiac arrest.”

He added: “Anyone can drop into one of our fire stations and learn CPR. Alternatively, firefighters can take the kit and visit local schools or community groups and pass on their expertise.”

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