Larbert High School (LHS) set out a mission to give all pupils (S1-S6) and staff the opportunity to learn cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) skills in partnership with the British Heart Foundation and the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, giving the school community life-saving skills and the confidence to use them.
A member of the Parent Council describes the project:
'We raised funds to purchase and install three defibrillators in school so that should anyone (pupils, staff, visitors or community users) experience a cardiac arrest, we have the equipment and skills to help save a life.
Larbert High School is the largest secondary school in Falkirk and one of the largest in Scotland. We are aware that anyone of any age, health or gender can suffer Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA) which is why taking the necessary precautions against this is vital, especially in a school.
Calling 999 and administering immediate treatment with CPR and a defibrillator before the paramedics arrive gives the victim the best chance of survival, increasing success rates from 6% to over 74%.
Our Larbert High School Lifesaving Week initiative was featured in the Falkirk Herald in a report by Jonathon Reilly on Thursday 24 October 2019. You can read the report here.
School leadership, one of the parents in school who is also a medical doctor, parents, carers, LHS Parent Council, some business organisations, British Heart Foundation and Scottish Rescue and Fire Service were all involved.
The funds required were raised in record time. The initial fundraising process was started by the leadership of the school who set up a JustGiving/Crowdfunding page. Parents, carers, family and friends and businesses donated generously. The Larbert High School Parent Council also applied to businesses and charitable organisations for grants, which were successful. We are probably the first, or one of the first, schools in Scotland to do this.'
The school's Rector said:
'We are delighted that, following our Lifesaving Week (w/c 7 October) all 1900 pupils received a CPR awareness/training session, in partnership with Scottish Fire and Rescue Service. In addition, all 190 staff have also been trained. This means that we are now officially a ‘School of Lifesavers’. The session also included information regarding the location and use of our defibrillators.'
This incredible initiative was acknowledged in the Scottish Parliament. You can read the motion here.
The school will continue with this project. The Rector confirmed this: 'CPR training will be repeated every year in terms of the new S1s being trained (and new staff) and raising awareness with all other year groups.'
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