First Names Group has partnered with St John’s ambulance and local charity Craig’s Heartstrong Foundation to provide a public defibrillator at its new offices at Summerhill Park.

Craig’s Heartstrong Foundation, Rushen Ambulance Service and the Isle of Man Ambulance Service are working with local companies across the island to install as many defibrillators as possible outside to provide public access to the equipment.

First Names Group responded to the initiative after moving to a new office opposite busy Douglas Shoprite. The defibrillator has been installed on the side of the Group’s new building so that the lifesaving equipment can be used by anyone in the vicinity in the event of an emergency even if the offices are closed.

The defibrillator, which can be used on both children and adults, is contained in a briefcase-sized box and can be accessed by anyone to use on someone in cardiac arrest. Once in position, the defibrillator detects the heart’s rhythm and it won’t deliver a shock unless one is needed. Training for these machines is recommended but they can be used by the public with the guidance of the 999 control room and the voice of the machine itself.  Access to the defibrillator is obtained by entering a numerical code provided by the 999 control room in order to prevent its use by someone without appropriate guidance.

Paul Healey, Chairman of Craig’s Heartstrong Foundation commented;

“To date we have donated 185 defibrillators around the island, our initiative now is to bring them outside offices so the public can access them, in case the companies that have a defibrillator are closed.  First Names Group has been brilliant in purchasing their own machine in order for the surrounding area to benefit.  We are looking for the public to donate to the charity in order for us to provide more of these boxes around the island.”

Craig Brown, Managing Director of First Names (Isle of Man) Limited added;

“As a people business we place great value on our employees’ wellbeing.  Shortly after moving into our new offices we asked our employees for suggestions on wellbeing initiatives, and I was delighted when I saw that one such suggestion was the purchase of a defibrillator to support Craig’s Heartstrong Foundation.. Putting the defibrillator box on the outside of our building means that in an emergency any member of the public will be able to access the lifesaving equipment and potentially save a life.”