Museum employee recognised for actions that saved a colleague’s life

Thanks to the quick thinking of our Facilities Manager, Nick Brown, his colleague Paul is back at work and in good health following a heart attack at his desk.

We’re delighted to announce that Nick Brown, Facilities Manager at NNMC, has been awarded a Certificate of Commendation from the Royal Humane Society for acting quickly when his colleague, Paul, showed signs of a heart attack.

Nick explains: “Paul’s desk is opposite mine and as soon as he came into work I could tell he was in some sort of discomfort. I asked if he was ok and he said he had a backache. He was wriggling around in his chair – there was just something about him that didn’t sit right with me.”

At NMMC, we have regular First Aid refreshers from Falmouth-based company, Cornwall Resus. Nick points to this training as the reason he moved so quickly to help Paul. He said: “I was watching him closely and then noticed he had started to sweat and he had gone very pale – it was all starting to key in.”

Nick asked Paul to sit on the floor and helped him assume the ‘W’ position. Sitting with knees bent and head and shoulders supported relieves pressure on the heart. He asked a colleague to go and get the Museum’s defibrillator and first aid kit, whilst another called 999.

Nick adds: “The ambulance took around 20 minutes, which was great – but when you’re in a situation like that, you’re very aware of how quickly things can change. I was concentrating on keeping Paul calm, and I monitored his condition closely.”

On running an ECG, the ambulance crew informed Nick and the team here that Paul was indeed having a heart attack. We called Paul’s wife, and arranged for her to be collected and taken to Treliske Hospital.

Nick adds: “The hospital staff said that had we not acted quickly, Paul probably wouldn’t have made it.”

Grateful for Nick’s actions on the day, members of staff here at NMMC nominated him and another colleague for a Royal Humane Society’s award. The award was presented by our Chair, Simon Sherrard, at the March Board meeting.

Paul said: “I can’t thank Nick and the team enough for acting quickly when they suspected something was wrong. I was in a lot of discomfort on the morning but was keen to get on with my work and see how I felt later on. I’m so grateful that I was at work where my loyal colleagues could take the decision out of my hands and draw on the fantastic First Aid training we have received.”

Nick adds: “I can’t stress enough how wonderful it is to be in a position where you see something you’re not sure of and can confidently do something about it. Even if you’re squeamish, there are things you can do to help someone – just being able to spot the signs and act quickly is so valuable.”