Every minute counts when someone’s heart stops – and that’s the reality driving Tasmania’s latest community defibrillator rollout.
Acting executive director of clinical services at Ambulance Tasmania, Andrew Howard, said survival chances drop sharply with every minute of delay during a cardiac arrest.
“We know from research that every minute that passes by with somebody in a cardiac arrest their chance of survival decreases by 10%,” he said.
Howard said paramedics could not be everywhere at once and public AEDs put life-saving power in the hands of bystanders.
“What this does is empower ordinary community members to become extraordinary citizens and help those in need in the community,” he said.
West Tamar mayor Christina Holmdahl said installing the devices at community halls was a “no-brainer”.
She said council halls saw heavy daily use from people of all ages, making them obvious sites for public access.
“Heart attacks don’t discriminate. It’s not just old people that need this service,” Holmdahl said.
She said the council hoped to install many more across the municipality.
Health Minister Bridget Archer on Thursday announced 90 new defibrillators would be rolled out across Tasmania.
It is the second round of the Government’s $500,000 Community AED Fund, which will deliver 180 free devices over two years.
Priority is being given to rural, regional and remote communities, with AEDs placed at community halls, sporting clubs, councils, local businesses and neighbourhood facilities.
Archer said the rollout built on more than 540 free AEDs delivered statewide since 2014.
“We know that these are really important life-saving pieces of equipment in communities,” she said.
Each new device will be registered on the GoodSAM Responder app, joining more than 1,300 publicly accessible AEDs already mapped across Tasmania.
The app uses GPS to show nearby AEDs, alerts registered responders and helps Triple Zero (000) call-takers direct bystanders to the closest device.
Howard said the devices were safe and self-guiding and would not deliver a shock unless needed.
He encouraged all Tasmanians to undertake first-aid training to back up the rollout.
“It means that help is always closer than you think,” he said.
