Heart smarts: New defibrillator ups survival odds

The new defibrillator was facilitated via St John WA’s First Responder program, a service that aims to get defibrillators to cardiac arrest victims in the vital minutes before an ambulance arrives. The program also encompasses an app, which includes first aid instructions, nearby defibrillator locations and can notify nearby qualified first aiders.

According to St John WA, the chance of survival during a cardiac arrest drops by 10 per cent for every minute that passes, and the average ambulance response time in the Perth metropolitan area is nine minutes.

“The new defibrillator will ensure people suffering a cardiac arrest can get immediate help while an ambulance is on the way,” a St John WA spokesperson said.

“The best thing about these devices is they can be operated by someone without any training – the machine will actually provide instructions to the user.

“By providing public access to defibrillators located in the community, St John is helping these communities to save more lives. Simply put, the more people who are willing and able to respond in an emergency, the more lives are potentially saved.”

City of Wanneroo Mayor Tracey Roberts said the new defibrillator was a key public asset that would prove indispensable in the case of an emergency.

“Time is of the essence during an emergency, and having a defibrillator on-hand in a central location in Wanneroo’s town centre could be the difference between life and death.”

“A range of different social groups and members of the public use the Wanneroo Community Centre every week, so this initiative has the potential to reach all corners of the community – the City is proud to have worked with St John WA in putting it in place.”