By Shamsiya Hussainpoor
Ambulance Victoria has equipped the Monbulk community a lifesaving gift to help people suffering cardiac arrest.
As part of the town’s Heart Safe Community program, two more automated external defibrillators (AEDs) were made publicly accessible.
A new 24/7 AED is located at the football club rooms at Monbulk Recreational Reserve (9 Moores Rd, Monbulk) after being presented to the community on Tuesday 23 April.
Murphy’s Mitre 10 (Monbulk Rd and Corner Main and Silvan Rd, Monbulk) also received a new cabinet so their existing AED can be stored outside the building, making it accessible to the public at any time.
Ambulance Victoria (AV) Paramedic and Monbulk Heart Safe Community Program Lead, Jess Drummond, said making both AEDs accessible 24/7 was an important health boost for the town.
“AEDs are used to shock the heart back into rhythm following a cardiac arrest – which is when a person’s heart suddenly stops beating,” she said.
“Cardiac arrest can happen to anyone, anytime, and only one in 10 people will survive.
“Bystander intervention makes a big difference – when a patient in cardiac arrest receives
CPR and a shock from an AED before paramedics arrive, their chance of survival more than doubles.”
Ms Drummond said anyone could use an AED regardless of whether they had received training.
“If someone is in cardiac arrest and an AED is available, simply open it and follow the instructions,” she said.
“They are safe and easy to use and will not deliver a shock unless necessary.”
Monbulk now has three 24/7 publicly accessible AEDs, but Ms Drummond said it would be great to see this number increase.
“It would be fantastic to see more AEDs accessible 24/7 and be registered with AV (registermyaed.ambulance.vic.gov.au), to ensure Triple Zero (000) call-takers can direct people to them in an emergency,” she said.
“The more people that know what to do in an emergency and have access to a defibrillator, the more lives can be saved.”
The Heart Safe Communities program is a year-long, joint initiative between AV and the Heart Foundation, which equips communities across the state with the skills to take life-saving action when someone suffers a cardiac arrest.
It aims to give locals the confidence to save a life by using three simple steps: Call (call Triple Zero 000), Push (perform CPR) and Shock (use an AED).
In an emergency call Triple Zero (000)
Ambulance Membership 1800 64 84 84
There are 30 Heart Safe Communities across the state, and Monbulk is one of 12 towns currently completing the program.
Heart Foundation Victorian General Manager Chris Enright said the partnership with AV continues to help raise awareness and teach people what to do in cardiac arrest.
“We know how effective our Heart Safe Community program can be and how important it is for the local community to drive it to embed change at a grassroots level,” she said.
“Ultimately, we hope every Victorian community can be ‘Heart Safe’.”
Ms Drummond also encouraged people to sign up to the GoodSAM app, which is a life-saving smartphone app that connects Victorians in cardiac arrest with members of the community who are willing to start CPR in the critical minutes before paramedics arrive.
“You don’t have to be first aid qualified or have a medical background, you just need to be willing and able to do hands-only CPR, be over 18 years of age and have access to asmartphone,” she said.
