Dave's Story - Fire Fighter - Weston-super-Mare
🚨 “MY HEART STOPPED. BUT MY COMMUNITY DIDN’T.” – DAVE’S STORY
💚 A powerful, real-life story from Weston-super-Mare that shows the power of people — and the power of being prepared. Dave is more than a firefighter. He’s a husband, a father… and now, a survivor.
One normal day turned into a nightmare when Dave suddenly collapsed at home from a cardiac arrest. His heart stopped. No warning. No pulse. But his partner, Sue didn’t hesitate — she began CPR immediately. His fire service colleagues raced to him — to support the fight to save him and support the Ambulance crew bringing with them a defibrillator that shocked his heart back into a survival rhythm! 💔
Without early CPR and defibrillation, Dave simply wouldn’t be here. This wasn’t luck — it was love, training, and community response. 💡
In the UK, fewer than 1 in 10 survive an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. But when a defibrillator is used within 3–5 minutes, survival rates can reach 50–70%. 🗣 As Professor Graham Stuart, Clinical Lead Ambassador for Donate For Defib Weston-super-Mare, told BBC Radio Somerset: “Early CPR and publicly accessible defibrillators make a life-changing difference. Defibrillators need to be like fire extinguishers — we should have just as many, just as close.”
🎥 Watch Dave’s incredible story come to life in this short film by Ian Phillips Photography, capturing the raw emotion, urgency, and unity that saved him.
📲 Contact us today to learn CPR, sponsor a defibrillator, or get involved in your local community:
📞07749036032 (Defibrillator On-Call Phone)
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📣 TAG a friend who should learn CPR today — you could save a life together Let’s make Weston-super-Mare heart-safe. Together. ❤
#DonateForDefib #DaveTheFirefighter #DefibSavesLives #CPRSavesLives #BeDefibAware #IanPhillipsPhotography #WestonSuperMare #TagToSave #CommunityHeroes #EverySecondCounts 🎬 (Credit: Ian Phillips Photography)
Dave’s live was saved by Early CPR and Early Defibrillation – A Local Fire Fighter for Avon Fire & Rescue.
Photo Captured By: Ian Phillips Photography
Written: Wednesday 25th June 2025
💛 TONIGHT WAS TRULY INSPIRING 💛
This evening, we had the incredible privilege of speaking with Dave — a Cardiac Arrest Survivor and a dedicated Firefighter with Avon Fire & Rescue. 🙌
Dave’s story is one of pure bravery, survival, and the power of early intervention. He openly shared how early CPR and early defibrillation saved his life — and without them, he simply wouldn’t be here today. ❤️⚡
Hearing his journey firsthand, surrounded by the very tools and people that helped make that difference, was nothing short of emotional and uplifting. A real-life hero whose experience reinforces exactly why we do what we do. 💪
The entire evening was beautifully captured through the lens of the talented Ian Phillips Photography 📸 — and we cannot wait to share this powerful story with you all very soon.
Stay tuned for more — this is a story that could save a life. 😉
#DonateForDefib #DefibSavesLives #EarlyCPR #EarlyDefibrillation #SurvivorStory #AvonFireAndRescue #RealLifeHero #IanPhillipsPhotography #CommunityMatters
Have You Got A Story To Share About A Heart Experience?
If you or someone you know has experienced a Cardiac Arrest or has had heart surgery and would like to share your thoughts on having more defibrillators within the local community, we would love to hear from you!