CYBER security company Titania has won an award for its work to combat cardiac arrests in the community.

The business headquartered in Barbourne, Worcester received the outstanding achievement award from local accreditation scheme Worcestershire Works Well for its lifesaving Heart Safe Campaign. This was set up earlier this year to raise awareness of cardiac arrests and train people from across the community to potentially save lives. The award was presented to Titania’s HR manager Shelley Gunnell and vice president of operations Ruth Inglis.

American police officer Bryan Platz of Coon Rapids, Minnesota, visited Titania’s headquarters last February at the invitation of chief executive Ian Whiting. A close friend of the business, Officer Platz delivered potentially lifesaving Heart Safe training to the Titania team and members of the local community, covering basic CPR and how to use a defibrillator machine.

A nine-year veteran of the United States Air Force and with 15 years’ experience in the police, Officer Platz launched a grassroots campaign after an episode in which a man suffered a cardiac arrest in a retail store and no one was able to assist. With the help of Titania, he was able to bring his training across the Atlantic to Worcestershire where he trained 100 people across two days. He said: "In all the travels in my life, Worcester is without question the best place I have ever visited. What really struck me was the passion and enthusiasm every member of your community I met had for this programme. Simply put, it was amazing. The experience of a lifetime.”

HR manager Miss Gunnell added: "To gain the sort of confidence and skills that Bryan Platz gave us most participants would have usually enrolled on a course at a cost to themselves or their company. Instead, they have been able to access this for free and benefit from Bryan’s first-hand experience and passion. I am sure the knowledge he passed on will stay with all of us for a very long time.”

Titania’s Directors recently visited Officer Platz in Minnesota and received an award live on the local news for becoming the first designated Heart Safe employer in the UK. However, the company’s lifesaving campaign does not stop there. The business has recently purchased specialised CPR dummies for practice and is planning to encourage team members to become trainers in the programme to spread the word even further. It also plans to fly Bryan Platz over again for more training and is hoping to engage with the British Heart Foundation to continue to raise awareness of these lifesaving skills. Cardiac arrests can affect anyone at any time, regardless of age, gender or lifestyle.