Increasing access to Automated External Defibrillators and CPR training in residential communities around Australia could help increase survival rates from sudden cardiac arrest, Australia’s Number One Killer, from just 10% to up to 75%.
Original Yellow Wiggle Greg Page was on A Current Affair to launch a new initiative. Watch the story.
Integrity Health & Safety co-founder Liam Harte said his organisation was proud to support Greg Page’s charity, Heart of the Nation, with its initiative – Heart of the Nation Communities – to assist the nearly 28,000 Australians who suffer a sudden cardiac arrest every year.
“Integrity Health & Safety is an indigenous-owned supplier of defibrillators and first aid training and is delighted to be a supplier of AEDs for Heart of the Nation Communities,” Mr Harte said.
“Partnering with Greg Page to bring publicly accessible defibrillators to residential neighbourhoods complements our business of supplying defibrillators to leading public and private sector organisations, such as Woolworths, Commonwealth Bank, ATO, DFAT, Lendlease, IGA, NSW Office of Sport” Mr Harte said.
“We are offering four defibrillator models as part of Heart of the Nation Communities’ defibrillator packages suitable for untrained bystanders – and we encourage community members and community organisations to get involved and help save lives in their local neighbourhoods.
“Having a defibrillator nearby within a three-minute round trip of someone suffering a sudden cardiac arrest, plus CPR knowledge, drastically increases survival rates.”
Heart of the Nation Founder and sudden cardiac arrest survivor, Greg Page, said the initiative provides residents with a fighting chance against sudden cardiac arrest, by equipping them with the skills (CPR) and the tools (an AED coupled with smart technology to connect the community) – both of which when performed by bystanders as links in the Chain of Survival, have been proven to increase survival rates.
“When someone’s heart stops beating suddenly, we can all help increase a person’s chance of survival drastically – start CPR and apply an Automated External Defibrillator (AED). And that’s why Heart of the Nation is working with some of the country’s biggest organisations to take on Sudden Cardiac Arrest where it strikes hardest – in residential communities!” Mr Page said.
“The initiative is being supported by some of Australia’s most well-known organisations and not for profit groups, including ClubsNSW, Surf Life Saving Services, RACQ, specific Rotary Club Districts, Nextdoor Australia, and Industry Training and Assessment Services as well as via our AED supplier partners, Surf Life Saving Services, Michael Hughes Foundation, Integrity Health & Safety, Defibrillators Australia, and First Aid Awareness and Training.”
In conjunction with educating community members about how to perform CPR, the program aims to get an AED within 200 metres of every home in a participating community, meaning that anyone who witnesses a family member go into cardiac arrest, can call for help from 000 AND nearby neighbours who can have access to an AED within 3 minutes – the optimum time to give a patient as much as a 75% chance of survival. But in residential areas, AEDs are often too far away to be available in many cases of cardiac arrest – until now.
“Heart of the Nation Communities delivers a total system that aims to complete the Chain of Survival for more people in the community by providing a group of residents everything that they need to be able to CALL, PUSH, SHOCK,” Mr Page said.
“It includes an app to call for help from emergency services and nearby responders with the push of a button, education about how to do CPR, as well as connecting residents to their nearest AED so they can respond to that call for help from neighbours or other community members.”
Heart of the Nation, through its partner organisations, is looking for “AED Hosts” to house an AED on their property, or “Community Ambassadors” to be the liaison for the program rollout across communities, and work with Heart of the Nation to promote the program within the community.
As part of the program, Heart of the Nation will guide residents through the process of understanding the program, promoting it to your community, and raising funds on a specifically created fundraising page for your community, to help meet the target funds required.
“For the cost of just two cups of coffee per month, per household for one year, this is probably the most affordable way to purchase an AED – as well as be connected to potential responders within your community. With a range of AEDs and cabinets to choose from, Heart of the Nation will guide you through the program and how to get the most out of it,” Mr Page concluded.
Looking For A Defibrillator?
As part of the Heart of the Nation Communities program, Integrity Health & Safety is offering four defibrillator models suitable for residential communities and untrained bystanders.
ZOLL AED Plus – Fully Automatic
ZOLL AED Plus – Semi Automatic
When you sign up to the program, Heart of the Nation will support you in your fundraising efforts to purchase a package including your choice of AED, an AED cabinet, online education, and an app that connects the defibrillator to the community and Heart of The Nation. Once you have reached your fundraising goal, you will get access to the available AEDs, including Integrity Health & Safety’s options.
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