SPAR NI marks Air Ambulance Week with defibrillator donation

Air Ambulance Northern Ireland has received a new, potentially lifesaving device to mark Air Ambulance Week 2021, courtesy of SPAR in Northern Ireland.

The Automated External Defibrillator, over 240 of which can be found outside SPAR, EUROSPAR and ViVO branded stores across Northern Ireland, has been donated by Henderson Group’s Bronagh Luke and Mark Baillie of MKB Medical, who supplies the devices.

Glenn O’Rorke, Operational Lead Paramedic with the Helicopter Emergency Medical Service (HEMS) received the device on behalf of Air Ambulance NI, saying, “Henderson Group has done a fantastic job extending the number of defibrillators throughout NI and we are very pleased to now have one at our airbase. We hope that it is never needed but it could help save a life.”

Community campaign 

Bronagh Luke spearheaded the Heart of the Community campaign throughout the local SPAR, EUROSPAR and ViVO network to install devices outside stores, therefore available 24/7 for the local community.

Bronagh commented; “Air Ambulance NI needs to raise £2 million each year to maintain the vital services it provides in Northern Ireland including providing essential, life-saving devices such as this AED. Recently, we have called upon retailers with devices already registered on the NI Ambulance Service network to register them on the British Heart Foundation’s new National Defibrillator Network, The Circuit, enabling even faster response times and more lives saved.”

Air Ambulance NI’s new device will reside outside the organisation’s headquarters on Halftown Road in Lisburn, which will also be registered to The Circuit and available 24/7 should it be needed locally.

Heart of the Community

Glenn O’Rorke finished; “We share a lot in common with the Heart of the Community initiative. Our aim is to save lives and ensure the local community have pre-hospital critical care, should it ever be needed. We’re so grateful to all at Henderson Group, SPAR NI and MKB Medical for helping us offer more of these services locally.”

Air Ambulance Week is the only week in the year dedicated to raising awareness and funds for the lifesaving work of the UK’s air ambulance charities. It takes place from 06 – 12 September, with Air Ambulance NI organising a series of initiatives. More information is available at https://airambulanceni.org.