VICTIMS of cardiac arrest are eight times more likely to survive after Len Fiori of St John Ambulance handed out 10 defibrillators to Australian charities at Government House this morning (March 10).

The event marked the launch of a new St John Ambulance-branded defibrillator, and the St John director of health services, Mr Fiori, said having more AEDs (Automatic Electronic Defibrillators) in the community will greatly benefit the 30,000 people who die from cardiac arrest annually.

“It’s either life or death and we know the defibrillators will make that difference,” he said.

For every minute after a cardiac arrest, Mr Fiori said sufferers are 10 per cent less likely to survive, but with early CPR and use of a defibrillator, there is an 80 per cent survival rate.

The updated machines will also be easier for bystanders to use, with the defibrillator’s verbal instructions guiding users through the process, he said.

He said the machines can also deliver 450 shocks and can operate with incorrectly placed pads. 

“St John’s plan is to place as many defibrillators in the community as we can,” he said. 

“The more that are out there and easily accessible, the greater the chance people will have of surviving a sudden cardiac arrest before the ambulance arrives.”

Governor-General David Hurley, a patron of St John Ambulance, helped present the defibrillators to 10 national charities, saying: “I believe in AEDs.”

Mr Hurley lost a good friend to cardiac arrest while playing golf and said in his former role as NSW governor he promoted the dispensation of defibrillators amongst the Defence Force.

“Having AEDs in the community is particularly important because the person sitting next to you in the next concert you go to, the next time you go to a restaurant… they could need your assistance,” he said.

The recipients of the new AEDs included veterans charity Soldier On, People with Disabilities Australia, the Country Women’s Association of Australia, Volunteering Australia, Mission Australia, the National Rural Health Alliance, Bridging the Gap, FORTEM Australia, YMCA and the Australian Men’s Shed Association. 

Australian Men’s Shed Association chairman Paul Sladdin said having defibrillators in the remote communities where they work, where there is limited medical access, might be life-saving.

“Defibrillators are a very important piece of equipment in sheds,” he said.

“We have 11,027 [sheds] around the country, some of them have defibrillators, others do not. Unfortunately, the majority of our members are around 70 years of age so they are at risk of cardiac arrest.”

The same is true for Josh Gilbert who is an ambassador for Bridging the Gap. 

“We’re a community based organisation so for us these will be placed on our trucks that go out to remote indigenous communities to be able to provide access to them in the event that something happens,” he said.