Page 8 - BOSS Today Issue 43

BOSS Today #43 NEWS

BEING AT THE HEART

OF THE COMMUNITY

The Business Supplies Keeping Hearts Beating Campaign.

uke Chapman - previously a BOSS Board and his fellow Trustees embraced the idea: installation. If you and your company
Lmember and a well-known industry “Our mission is to help members of our would like to be part of this initiative,
veteran of companies like Xerox, CE, BPG industry” Graeme commented, “and we please email one of the team at
and Highlands - is a recent survivor of realised that this initiative would do just Jade@thinkhighlands.com or
an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. He is that, particularly if we funded the siting of Paul@compleatofficesolutions.co.uk.
not alone, since NHS England ambulance a defibrillator near to or at St Brides, with a After all, we in office products
services attempt to resuscitate over second mobile device being made available have always been at the heart of the
28,000 people every year (around 1 in at all industry events. This will of course business community, so why not put
2,000 of us) who suffer the same plight. also help the wider public, as we aren’t something back as a life-saving service
However, survival rates for out-of- going to insist that any victim is a member for our customers and ourselves?
hospital arrests are only around 6% in of our industry before being allowed to
the UK, whilst in countries like Denmark, have the use of our donated defibrillator!”
Holland and parts of the USA they are Having a mobile AED device available -
between 21% and 65%. Research has and some of the charity’s Trustees trained
revealed that the two most significant in its use and in CPR techniques - will add
reasons for this startling difference are another element of care to BOSS events.
the ability of bystanders to help with The team are working closely with
cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and Heart2Heart, which is a long-standing
the availability and use of automated CPR and AED charity, as well as the
external defibrillators (AEDs). international AED manufacturer Cardiac
So Luke (now retired), along with Jade Science, in order to obtain the best
Wilson of Highlands and Paul Hicklin of products at the very lowest cost so as
Compleat Office Solutions (Mildenhall) to maximise the number of lives saved.
have come up with an initiative to Luke says: “Each AED device has the
increase our survival rates for cardiac ability to deliver over 400 shocks, so in
arrest. In April 2012, Paul’s own father its lifetime it could easily save hundreds
had suffered a cardiac arrest where there of lives. If only one person is saved, the
were no defibrillators nearby and sadly costs would be immediately justified.”
passed away, which just highlighted to The next phase of the rollout plan is for
Paul the need for more defibrillators. more companies in our industry to get
The team plans to create awareness involved, and BOSS member InControl
of CPR and AED access and usage on a Marketing are donating support for the
regional and national basis by working with project’s marketing requirements. The
independent retailers and local businesses, BOSS board recently approved providing
particularly those on trading estate and a support fund from reserves to help
high street locations. Luke approached member companies who wish to help
Graeme Chapman MBE of the BOSS their local community through financing
Business Supplies Charity, and Graeme and implementing CPR training and AED

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