St John Ambulance's life-saving donation to Luton Town and fans

Supporters of Luton Town FC and visiting fans at the football club’s home games will now have an extra level of healthcare protection at Kenilworth Road as they watch their teams in action.

With at least nine St John Ambulance first aiders and a further three from EEAST present at every home game, spectators can already be reassured that anything ranging from a twisted ankle or scald from a hot drink through to life threatening conditions such as choking can be dealt with.

However, in the case of a cardiac arrest, deploying a defibrillator alongside CPR to treat a patient can dramatically improve a person’s chances of survival.

David Wood, who manages the St John Ambulance volunteers at each home game, said: “This is great news for the club, the fans, visitors and the first aid team.

“With defibrillators and CPR at the front of people’s minds during the current national Restart A Heart campaign, we were delighted to be able to donate these three sophisticated pieces of equipment to the club.

“We hope they never need to be deployed but, if they do, we will have an even better chance of successfully resuscitating anyone suffering a cardiac arrest.”

Following this donation, all three spectator stands will have a dedicated defibrillator which can be used by first aiders at the ground for the benefit of the 9-10,000 people who attend every home game.

Kevan Platt, Luton Town Football Club matchday operations manager, said: “Luton Town were delighted to receive this fantastic donation from St John Ambulance.

“St John Ambulance have provided matchday medical care at Kenilworth Road for many seasons now and we thanks them for their ongoing professionalism and their generosity in supplying these potentially life-saving machines.”

St John Ambulance also has a first aid app. Visit: www.sja.org.uk