Appeal by heart attack victim
Saturday 15th August 2009, 3:00PM BST.
Tony Renouf, (second from left) with (left) Les Quennevais Sports Centre’s Rob Hamon, ambulance technician Lucy Walsh and paramedic Charlie Gouyet. Picture: by Tony Pike (00764611)
AN Islander is urging all businesses to buy a defibrillator machine after he was saved by staff at a Jersey gym when he collapsed with a massive heart attack.
Tony Renouf suddenly fell ill while working out at Les Quennevais Sports Centre in October 2007.
Two members of staff – Rob Hamon and Simon Abels – immediately began to use a defibrillator on the unconscious Mr Renouf while paramedics were called to the gym. They restarted his heart after sending four shocks through his body.
The retired former abattoir worker was later told that he would have died if the pair had not used the machine. Now, after returning to full health, the 64-year-old wants all Island firms to invest in one of the life-saving machines and ensure that staff are trained in first aid.
Mr Renouf said: ‘I used the cross-trainer for about 15 minutes and then the bike, and that was the last thing I remember of being in the gym. If it hadn’t been for the two lads and the defibrillator, I wouldn’t be here today.
‘I would urge all businesses to buy a defibrillator because they can help to save a life. I was in the right place at the right time. If I had been at home or on the way home from the gym, I wouldn’t be here today.’
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I used to work for a company that sold de-fibs in the UK. Heart trouble is a silent killer, it doesn’t cause panic like Cancer or Swine Flu, but kills millions every year. It was quite interesting to see who bought them for their staff or customers – Alton Towers bought them, they get heart attacks quite regularly. NatWest in London bought them, life as a city trader is pretty stressful. Stories like Tony’s are well worth the publicity
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Yes, these machines are excellent and come with very simply understood instructions.
It is however important for local businesses particularly those in the hospitality business to train a number of members of staff in advanced first aid, as it is still important to be able to recognize symptoms to ensure such aids are used in heart attack situations and not for epilepsy or diabetic fits for example.
I was recently at a well known local Hotel when a gentleman collapsed in the dining room, the resulting chaos resulted in him being stood up, manhandled to a chair,and absolutely no attempt to call an ambulance whilst people dithered about and his female companion obviously in shock, panicked!Eventually, and possibly incorrectly, he was returned to the floor and put in the recovery position whilst an ambulance was called, as those of us with rudimentary First Aid knowledge manged to prevail. At no time was there any first aid equipment produced or any demonstration that a member of staff had any knowledge of how to deal with this situation? Quite an eye opener!
I am not aware what the outcome of this incident was but I hope the gentleman concerned recovered successfully, and that his companion did not suffer any ill effects.
I also hope the management of the Hotel concerned took note and did something about their woefully inadequate training of staff re such an event.
Maybe this whole situation needs some Health and Safety attention?
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they should be in every finance house, ive seen them in soime odd places.
any building should have a sign outside to say they have one inside if need be.
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My brother had a fatal heart attack in the street in 1986 a defibrillator in the ambulance would have saved him…its a shame but its down to the general public to make sure that these are more freely accessed…the state should pay but they are too busy paying bonuses to bankers.
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David: What an excellent idea, but I wonder how long it would be before some unscrupulous character rushed in and half hitched what is a reasonably expensive piece of equipment by claiming to need it for an emergency nearby?Unfortunately such sitings of machines would need to have the commitment of the firm to provide someone (Even a volunteer)properly trained to supervise in an emergency. If your going to have publicly sited machines you are going to have to have public funding, some means of limiting liability if the machine is used incorrectly or even unsuccessfully in these litigious times,and an acceptance that at some stage some are going to be damaged or stolen.
It’s the old “life-belt by the lake” syndrome!
Vivienne: what a desperately sad story and there really is no excuse for funding not being available to ensure an ambulance carries what I would have thought was an essential piece of kit for such a vehicle.Unfortunately what with modern traffic volume,traffic calming measures, one way systems and just plain shortage of such vehicles when demand is unpredictable, there is no guarantee that an ambulance would get to a heart attack victim in time these days.I think here in Jersey we should have a publicly funded helicopter ambulance and rescue facility as people these days get out into the environment far more than they used to, doing all sorts of new,strenuous and in some cases dangerous activities in remote locations.
The authorities have lost more money in the financing of this new incinerator than would be needed to set up such a service, but it is arguably an expensive operation to maintain and difficult to justify on paper when the demand for such a service is so unpredictable.
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nick , a storey about a life belt.
years ago at west park slip, when it was next to charlie parkers cafe, there was a red box , rope and life belt for the beach guard that was there every summer, in a test one day, so the story goes.
the life saver run off to the sea, rope paid out the box, not a chance of getting past his waist, someone had been at the rope.
yes maybe some scumbag would pinch it.
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David: Yes sadly not an isolated case.
However the main problem with any safety equipment publicly site these days is the legal one that it can be regarded as an admission of liability should an accident occur,and also if the equipment malfunctions due to lack of maintenance or is incorrectly used,or just plain fails to ensure a miraculous recovery!
For example a house I once owned in the UK had a shared steep section in the driveway which when it snowed both my neighbor and I used to clear and salt with road salt.That was until a lawyer friend advised that by doing that if the Postman slipped on his way to our front doors and injured himself we were liable as our safety measures had failed. Apparently it was far better to do nothing and then if he slipped it was his own responsibility!
Who is it who said “The Law is an ass”?
I still think your idea is a good one David, it’s how to put it into operation, deal with the liability problem and cover the costs?
Also justifying the costs to the inevitable Job’s Worth who will want to balance expense against statistics of actual heart attack fatalities?
I would suggest that there is an argument for Hotels and licensed premises to have one, and that firms which are major employers of staff, for use on their premises.The matter of liability in cases where those machines might be used off site in an emergency should be “Sorted out” and then your scheme might work.
There’s still the matter of the scumbags, but one has to hope they are few in number!
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one can insure against theft,it is a wonderful idea No3 especially a sign outside so people know help is at hand…and let’s be honest just because of theft and vandals we can’t stop trying or you’ve let them win.
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As somebody who has attended St John’s ambulance courses I can only say this is a bonkers idea.
No business would be able to get the insurance to cover them if a non-health professional used a piece of specialised equipment like this and it went wrong. You cannot even administer epi-pens to people having allergic attacks or even simple drugs like Aspirin these days, such is the risk of subsequent legal action.
Sad but true, that’s the way the world is.
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would a blanket cover discliamer be any help?
the way i see it is if someone does not try to help you, then you may be a gonner anyway.
basic first aid should be taught to a standard in schools , one would hope, some of us who went rock climbing and involved in watersports were taught basic first aid( no certificate),
and may find someone who had had a fall or drowning or one of our own party.
if basic first aid is tught in schools today , fair play..
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#9 Mad Foetus. When the pads on a de-fib has been placed on the body, the machine will determine whether the victim is having a cardiac arrest or not. If they are not, the machine will not allow the shock. If they are having a cardiac arrest, the patient is technically dead, because they will die without help. So, by administrating a shock you cannot kill the patient accidentally.
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Darren: A very useful bit of information that needs to be more widely known and maybe some public information films or TV adverts on using these machines (When available), and also on basic First Aid would be a good idea?
I have over the years been at the scene of several serious car accidents where the immediate reaction of bystanders has been to drag victims out of the vehicle concerned in an arbitrary fashion! a tactic that should only be employed in a life or death situation where there is no option in order to save life such as the wreckage catching fire.
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#11 Darren: I don’t think that was the point mad foetus was making. Legally, if you see someone who is injured and do nothing, that’s fine. However, if you intervene, you have a duty of care to that person. Since negligence requires a breach of a duty of care, by intervening you are therefore leaving yourself open to a civil action.
In relation to your specific point about automatic defibrillators, they are far from infallible, eg it has been documented that people having a seizure can sometimes be shocked by such machines.
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