British Heart Foundation gives life-saving CPR training to Washington's Amazon drivers

The charity is helping to train drivers who deliver parcels to Amazon customers across Washington in CPR, so that they can respond to emergencies when out on the road.

Working in partnership with Amazon and more than 100 independent delivery companies across the UK, the BHF is offering the free training to thousands of drivers.

Amazon instructors at the Washington Delivery Station have already been educated in CPR by the charity, and they will now pass on their new skills to drivers in 30-minute sessions.

Jacob West, Director of Healthcare Innovation at the British Heart Foundation, said: “CPR is a life-saving skill that only takes 30 minutes to learn.

“Unfortunately, in the UK there are far too many people dying of a cardiac arrest, often because people don’t have the skills or confidence to perform CPR.

“It’s vital that CPR training reaches as many people as possible.”

There are up to 30,000 cardiac arrests outside of a hospital setting in the UK each year – but the survival rate is less than one in 10.

Kerry-Anne Lawlor, Country Director of Amazon Logistics, welcomed the vital partnership with the BHF, which will equip drivers to respond to emergencies if they are needed.

She added: “We regularly see examples where drivers delivering Amazon parcels for our delivery service partners act selflessly when out on their routes to help others.”