A new defibrillator machine has been added to the Port Vale academy building, after a significant increase of football and the use of the sports hall by both young and older groups throughout the week.
A defibrillator is a portable device that checks the heart rhythm and can send an electric shock to the heart to try to restore a normal rhythm. The academy's new de-fib has been funded by David Thorley and Neil Dawson from Vale Park Community Initiative, Kevin Jones of Manorpc Repairs and Alan Smith of Reliance Medical.
Port Vale FC Academy Manager, Sevvy Aslam say's this is a welcome addition to the academy building, especially after a recent scare with a player.
"After a recent incident involving an academy player where we had a de-fib at hand, I was keen to get the much needed equipment situated in the academy building.
"In the vast majority of workplaces, there is no legal requirement for an employer to have a a defibrillator.
"Having said that, it's getting much more common for employers and many other organisations such as sports clubs etc, to have a defibrillator on their premises." Sevvy added.
The UK Resuscitation Council that provides guidance on the use of defibrillator, states that individuals should be able to use them without any training.
Port Vale academy staff have all recently undergone a First Aid refresher course, which included the opportunity to use defibrillators. Sevvy say's they can make all the difference should an incident occur.
"Defibrillator's can be a life saver, as demonstrated by former Bolton Wanderers midfielder, Fabrice Muamba. Fabrice suffered a heart attack in a match against Tottenham Hotspur in 2012, but was resuscitated on the pitch.
"Using a defibrillator can turn what would be a disastrous outcome outcome with the death of an employee, into a success story where the employee recovers and returns to work."