Severn Valley Railway is to host an event on Sunday 15 October to encourage understanding of cardiac arrest and how people can use cardiac pulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and defibrillation to save lives.

The event will take place at both Kidderminster and Bridgnorth stations. St John Ambulance volunteers will show members of the public how to deliver CPR and how to use a defibrillator.

They will also attempt a non-stop ‘CPR-athon’ on board one of SVR’s heritage trains as it travels between the two stations, carrying out continuous CPR on a practice dummy for the one-and-a-quarter-hour journey.

Unit manager Brandon Keechan said: “We wanted to replicate the amount of time you might need to do CPR for, depending on how long it takes for an ambulance to reach the scene. It can be very strenuous, but we’ll be working in tandem and taking turns to give chest compressions. Effective bystander CPR provided immediately after a cardiac arrest, can double a victim’s chance of survival.”

The Europe-wide Restart a Heart Day takes place on Monday 16 October, aiming to spread awareness, education and training among members of the general public, so that they are able to save the life of someone having a cardiac arrest.

Brandon Keechan, manager of St John Ambulance Kidderminster unit, explained that, “The early moments are critical. It really can make all the difference to have someone there who knows what to do. By delivering first hand care and treatment, with CPR or defibrillation, you’re essentially keeping someone alive until an ambulance arrives.

“Members of our unit frequently carry out community first responding, and we’ve attended many incidences of cardiac arrest. We know that it really makes a difference when there’s someone who knows how to act quickly. Quite simply, someone’s life could depend on it.”

St John Ambulance volunteer Christine Nicholls added, “We’ll be on hand at Kidderminster and Bridgnorth stations, to demonstrate what to do in a life-threatening emergency. You don’t need medical training to do CPR, and we want to help people understand that anyone can do it. You never know when you might need it and it’s proven to save lives.”

SVR volunteer Martin Eaton, who runs basic first aid training courses for SVR staff, and who works as a paramedic for the West Midlands Ambulance Service, commented, “Many customer-facing volunteers at the SVR are trained in first aid, and we have defibrillators located at Kidderminster, Bewdley, Highley and Bridgnorth stations.

“Because we’re operating in a mainly rural setting, it is often volunteers and bystanders who are on scene first at medical emergencies. Knowing the basics, how to carry out CPR and the availability of a defibrillator saves lives. I’ve witnessed this many times and it’s always down to members of the public getting the basics right before the ambulance service arrives. It’s great that the SVR is getting involved in Restart a Heart Day.”