Walk for your heart!

A sponsored walk in aid of the Irish Heart Foundation will be held next Sunday, leaving from the Church Car Park at 2.30pm.

The walk has been organised by Kilcullen First Responders and will be approximately four kilometres long, following the Sli na Slainte route.

The event will take about an hour to complete and is suitable for all the family, even for those travelling in baby buggies.

Kilcullen First Responders (KFR) is a group of volunteers from the community who have been trained to answer emergency first aid calls where an ambulance delay in responding to that call may have adverse consequences.

KFR volunteers have since their establishment in June of 2006 responded to 12 emergency calls in the community. They are trained to administer oxygen, artificial resuscitation and in the case of cardiac arrest to use a defibrillator. The defibrillator diagnoses the patient and if necessary administers a shock so that the heart's rhythm is normalised and the patient survives.

KFR volunteers meet the first Tuesday of each month to conduct refresher training and keep up to date on emergency issues. The group is looking at the feasability of providing defibrillators and training to sports clubs and schools in Kilcullen -- a response to growing concerns about cardiac failure amongst young people.

Brian Byrne.