Helping those who are the first to help others and save lives

For eight years now, Zavarovalnica Triglav has been supporting prevention projects nationwide through their "For A Better Tomorrow" New Year campaign. This year, Triglav's Postojna regional office has joined forces for a good cause with the Municipality of Postojna and the Sežana Local Community. In Postojna, the backing of Slovenia's largest insurance company was used to train first responders in providing emergency medical care, while in the Sežana Local Community , the funds went towards a new defibrillator in the village of Orlek, where it will increase the chances of survival for people in the area suffering cardiac arrest.

"We are hoping to provide local communities with the best possible resources for quick identification and treatment of health problems and to increase the chances of surviving a cardiac arrest even in areas where access to emergency medical care is difficult either due to remoteness or any other reasons. All in order to create a safer future for all generations," explained Dr Jože Celin, Director of the Postojna regional office of Zavarovalnica Triglav.

Gaining knowledge through two training courses
In view of the geographically dynamic terrain and road connections of varying degrees of accessibility, emergency medical assistance is not equally accessible to all citizens. To this end, a system of first responders was formed, comprising trained volunteers who possess the knowledge to save a human life in critical moments or give first aid to a person who suddenly falls ill, helping them until the emergency medical services arrive. Supported by Slovenia's largest insurance company, the Municipality of Postojna organised two training courses for first responders.

"When it comes to saving lives, seconds are what counts in critical moments, which is why a broad network of trained first responders who know how to react in a given moment is extremely important," the Mayor of the Municipality of Postojna, Igor Marentič, pointed out.

When every second counts
Another example of where an appropriate and especially quick reaction is of vital importance is resuscitation. The Sežana Local Community decided to purchase a defibrillator and set it up in Slovenia's western-most village in the area of Sežana, since one never knows when the life of a loved one or a total stranger might depend on their reaction at a critical time.

"We believe that the knowledge of resuscitation techniques is vital in those first minutes of helping a person suffering cardiac arrest. By placing a defibrillator in the village of Orlek, we will ensure greater safety for people passing through as well as for the local community," Damjan Renčelj, the representative of Orlek within the Sežana Local Community Council, described the significance of the new acquisition.

In resuscitation, the first key decision you have to make is that you are or are going to be the one to help the person in need. On average, it takes the emergency services between 12 and 14 minutes to arrive on the scene, depending on the location of the emergency. But this can be too late.

"For A Better Tomorrow" now in its eighth year
Slovenia's largest insurer has been running their "For A Better Tomorrow" New Year prevention campaign for eight years now. In the last seven years, Zavarovalnica Triglav supported more than 180 prevention projects nationwide, with a further 25 receiving support this year, making a total of more than 200. In recent years, the company has co-financed the purchase of defibrillators, ultrasound and ECG machines, and other life-saving medical devices, supported a large number of other projects in the fields of healthcare, civil protection, flood mitigation and road safety, and helped numerous fire brigades around the country. Over the past few years, the latter were also supported as part of this New Year campaign by Triglav's Postojna regional office, which focuses considerably on supporting the expansion of a network of publicly available automatic defibrillators in the area where it operates.