Emergency Services Brethren Save A Life

Brothers Chris Johnson and Barrie Jacques (pictured centre above), both active Freemasons in The Emergency Services Lodge (ESL) in Taunton, were off duty employees of The South Western Ambulance Service NHS Trust and happened to be in the right place, right time on Wednesday 3rd December. While at the Nuffield Gym in Taunton a member of the public suffered a cardiac arrest. On hearing the alarm being raised Chris and Barrie joined Nuffield staff and responded immediately to commence CPR, summoning assistance and deploying a defibrillator.

As a result of their combined swift action the casualty achieved what is known as ‘ROSC’: a Return Of Spontaneous Circulation and began breathing for himself. The casualty was handed over to paramedics and transferred to hospital; while he remains unwell and receiving treatment in hospital, he is alive and the early intervention by Chris, Barrie and the Nuffield staff ensures he gets a chance to recover. ESL wish him and his family well for the future. The message they both wish to share is the value in knowing how to conduct CPR and delivering defibrillation using an Automated External Defibrillator (AED).

Many Masonic Halls and numerous public locations now feature an AED and they are very simple to use. When you spend time advancing your daily Masonic knowledge ESL would urge you to extend this to knowing where your local defibrillator is and finding out how to use it. Watching a short video is a great way to find out. Check out the Resus Council, British Heart Foundation, Red Cross or St John’s Ambulance Service websites. To be able to save a life is – as Chris and Barrie know – one of the most special things you can ever do. Well done to you both!

Report by: Andy Newland – Lodge Comms Officer L9691