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CostaBlancaPeople 8th - 14th May 2018
PROTECTING THE HEART OF THE COMMUNITY Orihuela Costa Defibrillator Campaign oday the Costa Blanca People is proud to launch its new fundraising initiative: The Orihuela Costa Defibrillator Campaign and we would like to ask all of our readers and advertisers to help us protect the heart of the community by raising as much money as we possibly can to place mobile defibrillator units in every Polica Local patrol car on the coast. Working in conjunction with Cruz Roja and Help at Home Costa Blanca, the campaign has the full support of the Town
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Hall and Local Police Department. There are currently five police cars and a police van allocated to Orihuela Costa and the officers manning these vehicles are usually the first responders to any emergency call in the local area. This means that if someone’s heart has stopped – for whatever reason - at home, in the street, at the gym, in a shop or on the beach the police are often the first on the scene. By carrying professional healthcare standard defibrillators the officers will be able to revive the casualty and keep the heart beating until the ambulance crews arrive. The fundraising campaign aims to raise the money for the defibrillators themselves, being advised by Cruz Roja as to which specific machines should be bought, and also to pay for the Cruz Roja to fully train the relevant number of police
officers on how to use the equipment. The Costa Blanca People will donate all monies raised through its forthcoming Culinary Awards and Pride of Spain Awards to the campaign and the Cruz Roja and Help at Home will also be fundraising for the campaign through various specific events. We are also calling on local bars, restaurants, businesses and entertainers to host events and help us raise as much money as we possibly can. All funds should be handed over to Help at Home Costa Blanca as the charity will be managing funds for the campaign – if you are making a donation, be sure to specify if it is for the defibrillator campaign. Members of the local community can make donations at the Help at Home shops in Playa Flamenca and Cabo Roig or to the charity at the weekly Tuesday market held at The
Emerald Isle, La Florida. As part of the new Beach Bar contract provision (currently out for tender), the Town Hall has specified that all beach bars must have a defibrillator and staff that are trained to use them. At a recent meeting between Luisa Boné, Councillor for the Coast and Beaches and
Aoife Leddy and Mireille Toddington, Editor and Deputy Editor of the Costa Blanca People, the Councillor gave her full support to the initiative and praised the community spirit of the expat community in working together to promote health and safety of residents and holidaymakers.
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