The Felixstowe Flyer Magazine March ’24
In The Felixstowe Flyer magazine March ’24, The Flyer magazine March editions, we hear from local community groups, local schools as well as charity groups.
And other updates from local community groups, also local schools and organisations.
From the Mayor
Mayor’s charity quiz night run by Felixstowe Coastwatch
At the end of the last update I said I’d say something about the locations and importance of the town’s public access defibrillators (aka ‘defib’ or AED). These are portable, easy-to-use and highly effective pieces of kit that can literally save the life of a person suffering from a cardiac arrest outside a medical facility.
The significance of swift action and correct deployment of an AED was brought home to me while coaching my Tuesday evening swim squad at the leisure centre in January. One of my swimmers – a lovely 61 year old called Tim, with no history of heart issues – collapsed mid-length. His heart stopped and began to ‘fibrillate’, more akin to vibrating than beating usefully. Tim was gone, and yet, miraculously, 35 minutes later, his heart was beating, his mind was clear – and a month later he’s home with his family (not in Felixstowe) after a successful by-pass operation.
Two key things enabled this positive and statistically rare outcome. Firstly, Tim’s fellow swimmers (one of whom was a doctor) took immediate action. First, he was lifted onto poolside before taking water into his lungs. Then cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) was started; 999 called and the Centre’s defib called for. The signs were clear – no pulse, purple face, basically lifeless. So two squad members shared the duties: one doing chest compressions (same rhythm as the Bee Gees ‘Staying Alive’), which is vital to keep blood circulating; the other giving two rescue breaths for every 30 compressions. The lifeguard acted calmly to bring the defib to the scene and deploy it correctly. Lifeguards are trained in this, but it is quite something to keep a clear head in such circumstances, and placing the pads correctly on a wet patient is tricky. The CPR kept Tim alive for those vital first 5 minutes, and then the AED did its job, by literally shocking Tim’s heart back into correct rhythm to start pumping blood again.
An ambulance arrived from Ipswich in 15 minutes. Without the AED on-hand locally the challenge would have been to keep CPR going longer, during which time the prospects of full recovery would have been declining. But it’s key to keep going until trained medics or an AED arrive.
In a sense Tim was fortunate that this occurred in a facility with a defib and people with experience / training. But what about out in a public space, café or similar? What to do? Well, calling an ambulance immediately is key. And knowing the basics of and starting CPR quickly is a life saver and knowing where AEDs are located. Felixstowe’s 12 public-access defibs are at: the Leisure Centre; Sea Road public WC; View Point café; the Library; Dellwood Ave football ground; Old Felixstowe Community Centre; Felixstowe Ferry Harbour Master; Walton Co-op (opposite The Falcon); Broadway House (next to Howard House surgery); Co-op foodstore Great Eastern Sq; the Dip public WC, Cliff Rd; the Spar shop, High Road East. To use these you’ll need to have called 999 and will be given an access code.
These websites give excellent guidance: NHS, St John’s Ambulance, British Heart Foundation.
I had so much else to write about this month, but this topic was too important to wait. Nevertheless, here are some exciting upcoming events:
March 12th: 10-12 at Salvation Army: public meeting on establishing a community ‘cycle & walking hub’ in Felixstowe.
March 15th: Mayor’s charities Spring concert, by Boost, 7pm @ Felixstowe School. Tickets £8 from www.stpetersbythewaterfront.com Children free.
April 11th: Mayor’s charities Spring Fashion Show, with Christina Johnston, St John’s church, 18:30. Tickets £14.50 from Coes & the Factory Shop.
April 13-16: first civic visit for many years to our twin town of 30 years, Salzwedel.
April 19-21: civic visit of Wesel to Felixstowe, marking 50 years of twinning.
And finally, bravo to NCI Felixstowe for hosting an amazing quiz night, raising over £1600 for the Mayor’s charities.
best wishes as ever,
Seamus
Seamus.bennett@felixstowe.gov.uk
FB: @Mayor of Felixstowe @SeamusTC Insta + X @CllrSeamusB