Lifesaver inspires his local community to invest in AEDs

Chris Richards and physiotherapist Lisa Hagger (centre) with
Edwin Baker, Phil Shere and Graham Beer

Chris Richards, from Total Safety Training & Consultancy, was at a Sports Relief charity football match in Devon last year when one of the players, Paul Tapp, collapsed on the pitch. Fortunately for Paul, Chris had an AED Plus^® automated external defibrillator in his car, which he quickly retrieved and used to save Paul’s life!

As a result of Paul’s incident and the successful resuscitation by Chris, the local community have realised the importance of AEDs and spent the last year working with Chris to purchase an AED Plus for the local football club. Thanks to the continued fundraising efforts of the community, supported by the Cullompton Traders Association and the town council, there will now be as many as five defibrillators in Cullompton!

The latest group to add an AED to their site is the Cullompton Rugby Club, which worked hard to secure funding for an AED Plus to protect its members and visitors. The club’s physiotherapist, Lisa Hagger, commented: “Despite being super fit, players of the modern game are subject to extreme exertion, and this piece of equipment can and has saved lives.”