The Defib In Your Street program has landed in Werribee and a launch was held to celebrate the occasion.
On Friday, July 25, members from the Wyndham community attended St John Ambulance Victoria’s expansion of the program to its fourth suburb.
Defib In Your Street aims to reduce the time needed to access a defibrillator in a bid to increase survival rates of people suffering sudden cardiac arrest. (SCA)
Included in the program will be the installation of 30 publicly-accessible automatic external defibrillators (AEDs) in the suburb and provision of free CPR training for 4000 community members.
Currently, Werribee has the third highest rate of SCA in Victoria and there are currently only three public-access defibrillators in the suburb.
St John Ambulance Victoria chief executive Gordon Botwright said Defib In Your Street, along with a state government mandate for defibrillators in public buildings, could save thousands of lives.
“More than 7500 Victorians suffer a sudden cardiac arrest every year and survival relies on quick access to a defibrillator and training the community in its use,” Mr Botwright said.
“It is literally a case where every second counts, for with every extra minute that a person is in cardiac arrest, their chances of surviving fall by 10 per cent.”
Werribee resident and retired firefighter George Andrews praised the program and encouraged local community members to get involved.
“Having had first-hand experience in conducting CPR on a neighbour, who subsequently survived a cardiac arrest, I know how vital timing is in improving survival rates,” Mr Andrews said.
If you are interested in participating in free CPR training, hosting a defib or learning more about the program, visit the Defib In Your Street website: defibinyourstreet.org.au
