Supporters of Luton Town and visiting fans have been given an extra level of healthcare protection at Kenilworth Road thanks to a donation of three defibrillators by St John Ambulance, the nation's leading first aid charity.
Volunteers from the charity provide first aid cover at the football ground, working alongside personnel from EEAST. With at least nine St John Ambulance first aiders and a further three from EEAST present at every home game, spectators can already be reassured that anything ranging from a twisted ankle or scald from a hot drink through to life threatening conditions such as choking can be dealt with. However, in the case of a cardiac arrest, deploying a defibrillator alongside CPR to treat a patient can dramatically improve their chances of survival.
Following this donation, all three spectator stands will have a dedicated defibrillator which can be used by first aiders at the ground for the benefit of the 9-10,000 people who attend every home game.
David Wood, who manages the St John Ambulance volunteers at each home game, said: "This is great news for the club, the fans, visitors and the first aid team. With defibrillators and CPR at the front of people's minds during the current national Restart A Heart campaign, we were delighted to be able to donate these three sophisticated pieces of equipment to the club.
"We hope they never need to be deployed but, if they do, we will have an even better chance of successfully resuscitating anyone suffering a cardiac arrest."
Kevan Platt, Luton Town Football Club Matchday Operations Manager, said: "Luton Town were delighted to receive this fantastic donation from St John Ambulance. Having three extra defibrillators available to our matchday medical staff is a tremendous boost and whilst we hope we never have to use them, it is reassuring to know that if needed they can be deployed speedily to someone in need.
"St John Ambulance have provided matchday medical care at Kenilworth Road for many seasons now and we thank them for their ongoing professionalism and their generosity in supplying these potentially life-saving machines."
For those looking for quick, easily accessible information, the free, highly popular St John Ambulance first aid app is available on smartphones (Android, Apple and Blackberry), and the website – www.sja.org.uk – offers demo videos, an interactive game, and lots of free advice.