Ability Matters presents AED to Christ Church Cathedral

Christ Church Cathedral was recently presented with an AED (Automatic External Defibrillator) by Ability Matters. While the Cathedral is primarily a place of worship it is also a major civic resource embracing artistic, cultural and ecumenical life in the city.

As an historic building and a very popular venue for concerts, recitals and exhibitions it contributes to the cultural tapestry of Waterford.

Experiencing a vast throughput of worshippers and visitors each week the Christ Church Cathedral committee was aware of the need for its staff to be proficient in AED and CPR.

Susan Grant, Tourism and Marketing Manager of Christ Church, said that the offer of an AED couldn’t have come at a more opportune time. “The committee had, for some time, been discussing acquiring an AED for the cathedral. When Ability Matters offered to supply us with an AED we were delighted to accept and were very grateful of the offer.”

“Although we hope there won’t be a need for it, the AED and the training we undertook with NAS Training Centre have given us the confidence and ability to respond to an emergency situation. All members of staff, clergy and some select vestry members are now trained.”

In Ireland approximately 10,000 people die each year from cardiovascular disease (CVD), coronary heart disease, stroke and other circulatory diseases. Where concentrated volumes of people work and gather each day, there is a heightened risk of one of those suffering from CVD.

For every minute that passes between onset of cardiac arrest and treatment, chances of survival are reduced by 10 percent. If a defibrillator is not used within 10 minutes, the victim’s chances of survival are practically nil.

Susan added “Since the Cathedral’s refurbishment in 2006/2007, tourist figures have been steadily increasing, the audience numbers for music and art events has grown, all in addition to our weekly congregations. So it is crucial that we have trained staff and the proper equipment to deal with a situation that requires AED.”

For further information about Christchurch visit http://www.christchurchwaterford.com/. Or log onto www.abilitymatters.ie or http://www.nas.ie/.