Unlocked, alarmed and under CCTV surveillance, the AED near the front entrance of the supermarket is a portable device used to stop irregular heartbeats with an electric shock to the chest and regain a regular rhythm.
Sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) is one of the leading causes of death in Australia and can lead to death within minutes. But defibrillation within those first few minutes raises survival rates from a 90 per cent chance of death to a 70 percent increase in survival.
David Harris from Rochester Ambulance Auxiliary says that installing the AED in a central location has the potential to save lives.
“Installing the AED is something I’ve wanted to do for the last couple of years," he said. "There are a lot of defibrillators around, like at the chemist and community house, but they’re only accessible to the public during business hours.
“It’s as simple as opening the cabinet and removing the AED and then switching on the unit. The unit will then give you step-by-step instructions on what you need to do.
“In the cabinet there’s a pamphlet with step-by-step instructions on what to do. As soon as you turn the machine on it will tell you where to put the pads and points to the location. From there it will analyse the heart and tell you whether a shock needs to be delivered."
Ambulance Victoria’s new GoodSAM initiative alerts qualified responders when someone nearby is in cardiac arrest using a smartphone app linked to Triple Zero.
Anyone with a first aid certificate can register for the GoodSAM program and the app is free to download.
“You can basically download the app and register through Ambulance Victoria," Mr Harris said. "It will give you an address if there’s an incident and where the closest defibrillator is. And obviously if the ambulance is out of town, you’re looking at 20 minutes where they’re either going to come from Elmore or Kyabram
“I’d like to see more of these machines out in the public. If Rochester’s is successful, we’d like to put them in other isolated towns like Lockington and Elmore in the same way ours was funded – through community donations and the auxiliary.
“While it has no monetary value to anyone, it’s valuable in the sense it can save someone’s life."
Rochester Ambulance Auxiliary would like to thank the generous donations from supporters and Secretary Jade Harris.
David offers basic CPR training to organisations and can be contacted on 0407 874 540 for appointments.
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