Albufeira taxi drivers receive basic life support training

57 taxi drivers from Albufeira have received training in Basic Life Support using Automatic External Defibrillation (SBV-DAE), at the Voluntary Fire Station, Albufeira.

Albufeira now has 324 operators with this kind of training, meaning the can provide assistance in situations of cardiorespiratory arrest. It is all part of a community-based program launched in 2017 entitled “Albufeira + Segura”, licensed by INEM, and which is supported by local teams of first responders, professionally trained to intervene in situations of sudden cardiorespiratory illness.

The Mayor of Albufeira explained that “just like the forces of authority, taxi drivers are one of the professional classes that are closest to people, being on the ground 24 hours a day, 365 days a year (in normal situations), so they are part of the group that can act early in the face of a situation of cardiorespiratory arrest, until assistance arrives”.

“But our objective does not stop there”, the Mayor stressed, “in addition to these operatives, we intend to train 500 more people, namely members of CNE Groupings, sports associations in the municipality and GIRO (bus) drivers. It is also our goal to install fixed equipment in all the School Pavilions, preparing different professionals so that they can carry out the SBV-DAE procedures that save lives”.

The training in Basic Life Support using Automatic External Defibrillation aims to provide the operational personnel with a set of skills that allows them to provide assistance in situations of cardiorespiratory arrest, to know when and how to call for help through the 112 number, perform the basic protection of the airway, chest compressions, safety positioning and use the External Automatic Defibrillator (DAE), individually and as a team, early and safely.

Early care can double or triple the survival rate of victims, hence the huge benefit of the initial provision of health care in emergency situations and training in basic life support at the community level.

The municipality currently has a total of 22 fixed equipment sites at strategic places on the public roads and 19 mobile kits, 9 installed in vehicles of various entities with responsibility for safety and security, namely the GNR (4), Voluntary Firefighters of Albufeira (1), Municipal Police (2) and Municipal Civil Protection Service (2), one of which is located in the Medical / Nursing Office in the occupational health service of the Municipality, in accordance with the recommendations of the Directorate-General for Health.