Kildare Minister hosts CPR training with Newbridge community first responders

Minister of State Martin Heydon alongside Kildare Youth Fine Gael (YFG) organised a Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) training with Newbridge Community First Responders at Newbridge Rugby Club for this year’s Farm Safety Week. 

Minister Heydon stated, “CPR training is something we hope to never have to put into practice but you will never regret learning these lifesaving skills. I want to commend Young Fine Gael for their proactive work in organising this event and making it accessible to the community.

For our farmers, I would ask that they and their families make a conscious effort to attend CPR training as they often work alone in isolated settings. I have also seen from my role, the importance of prioritising physical health to prevent incidents in which it is required occurring."

This events comes as part of Farm Safety Week which is ongoing and running until July 22. The idea to conduct CPR training to mark Farm Safety Week came from Kildare YFG’s Chair Emily McTigue. Discussing the free training initiative, the Newbridge native said “I am very grateful to be able to collaborate with the Community First Responders and receive this training, as CPR is a vital life skill."

Member of Newbridge Rugby Club and Secretary for Kildare YFG Pierce Dargan secured the training location and thanked Newbridge Rugby Club for their generosity in hosting the CPR training for Farm Safety Week. “It’s heartening to see groups from all over the community come together for a common good.

“Irish people are among the most willing in the world to attempt bystander CPR according to the last figures for 2020. 84% of cardiac arrests had attempted resuscitation performed by bystanders supported by over the phone instructions by the 112-emergency operator, according to the 2020 annual report from OHCAR Ireland.

Dargan concluded, “This is something Irish people should be proud of and shows how important it is to promote CPR training and is a great way to mark Farm Safety Week."