Kirkcaldy teen responds to cardiac arrest alert on lifesaving app

Arron Reekie from the Lang Toun was preparing to go out with friends when he received an alert on his smartphone from the GoodSam app asking for his assistance.

The 17 year old Pupil Support Officer at Kirkcaldy North Primary School has been signed up for the service for a year when his first call came on Sunday night, alerting him to a person suffering a cardiac arrest nearby.

Arron said: “After seeing the details my friend drove down to the address which wasn't that far away. When I arrived on scene I entered the address and shouted ‘First Responder’.

“I entered the room to see a woman who was exhausted from attempting CPR on a gentleman who was in cardiac arrest. I immediately started chest compressions as I knew every minute counts in an emergency situation like this”.

When the ambulance arrived, Arron continued to assist with the patient's treatment, allowing the paramedic crew to focus their energy on other lifesaving techniques.

He explained: “When the ambulance service arrived I continued doing chest compressions to give the Paramedic Crew the ability to work on the patient whilst having an extra pair of hands. Shortly after, a second ambulance arrived and took over”.

“After yesterday's event I want to raise awareness and encourage everyone to learn basic CPR as it saves lives”.

The experience has also driven Arron to promote the potentially life saving app.

He said: “A lot of people do first aid qualifications for work and if you’ve got that certificate it lets you put it to use. It gives you that ability to help your community.”

The GoodSam app sends alerts to those nearby signed up to the service. This allows them to respond to the call and attend to the person in need.

In order to be eligible for the service GoodSam says that you don’t need to have a first aid certificate, you just need to know CPR.

More information can be found at: https://savealife.scot/goodsam/