Member Article

Generous gesture ensures heart safety for Ealing community

A street in Ealing is now protected in the case of a sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) after an act of generosity from the owner of a respected estate agency.

John Martin of John Martin Estates bought a class-leading G5 automated external defibrillator (AED) from Cardiac Science to protect the community around Pitshanger Lane after a friend died following an SCA.

John, whose business is celebrating its 20th anniversary, said: “I have been part of this community for 20 years and I wanted to give something back. After a friend died, I thought what better way to do that than to buy a defibrillator to protect our community?

He continued: “The need for a defibrillator was brought home a little while ago when I was taking part in the London Triathlon. A fellow competitor suffered an SCA and my wife Rhian had no idea it wasn’t me. It was a scary moment for her and a wake-up call for me.”

The Cardiac Science G5 AED was provided by paramedic Tim Chivers of the London Ambulance Service, who fronts the service’s Shockingly Easy campaign.

John explained: “I emailed the London Ambulance Service to get advice about fitting a defibrillator and Tim called me. He visited the site and gave great advice on the best unit to use and the best location.

“I knew we wanted a unit which could be used by anyone, so it had to be simple to operate and intuitive. The G5 was perfect because it talks you through the process and does all the technical stuff so the user just has to follow prompts.”

The new AED has been installed outside John Martin Estates at the half-way point on Pitshanger Lane, and now protects the local community. London Ambulance Service has also provided the community in the area with full training on CPR techniques and using the AED.

Pitshanger Lane, which has over 50 independent traders, including butchers, fishmongers and many other businesses, is no stranger to community spirit. The road is currently down to the final three in the London region of the Great British High Street competition and is one of only 21 on the national shortlist.

John concluded: “We have a strong community spirit on Pitshanger Lane, which is why we are such a popular destination. We are currently preparing for the Christmas period when the typical footfall could be anything from 500-2,000 per day, so if fitting this defibrillator saves just one life, it will be worth the investment.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by James Welton .