Invercargill Safer Town thanks to generous support

ILT Foundation and St John joint media release

Invercargill a Safer Town thanks to generous support

The ILT Foundation and St John have joined forces in a major project to give the local Invercargill community the power to save lives in sudden cardiac arrests.

The ILT Foundation has allocated a grant of just over $186,000 which covers all the costs to purchase and install life-saving automated external defibrillators into 50 public places throughout the Invercargill area. The grant will also provide funding to train 500 members of the public in using the equipment.

Smaller than a laptop and very easy for members of the public to use, these defibrillators can literally mean the difference between life and death for someone in cardiac arrest while an ambulance is on the way.

Cardiac arrest is when the heart has actually stopped. A patient in cardiac arrest needs to receive CPR and ‘defibrillation’ to ‘restart’ the heart as soon as possible to have a chance of survival. Cardiac arrest can be caused by a severe heart attack, but a number of other causes can also stop the heart beating.

Automated external defibrillators, like those to be located in Invercargill, are safe and effective, and enable members of the public to perform immediate, on-the-scene life-saving actions.

The defibrillator assesses the patient’s condition and in cases of ‘ventricular fibrillation’ (the most common form of cardiac arrest - when the heart muscle is quivering uncontrollably and not pushing blood around the body) delivers a short, controlled electric shock to the heart through the chest. This shock stops the quivering and allows the heart muscle to start working normally

St John is providing the expertise and training, and will help identify where the defibrillators should go to ensure maximum benefit to the community.

Places being considered include shopping outlets, sports clubs and stadiums, bowling clubs, golf clubs, libraries, swimming pool, schools, entertainment places and transport hubs such as Bluff Ferry Terminal.

ILT Foundation spokesperson, Trustee Neville Cook, says this follows the solid support for St John by the ILT Foundation in recent times with a grant of $567,380 for a free St John First Aid Kit in every home in the city earlier this year, and a contribution by ILT and ILT Foundation of $150,000 towards St John’s new Invercargill headquarters in 2005.

“Experience in other parts of New Zealand has proven that these devices save lives and therefore it was logical for us to really get in behind this project and ensure we have sufficient coverage throughout the city,” Mr Cook says.

St John Southern Region General Manager Gary Williams and Invercargill Area Committee Chairman Murray Henderson say St John is committed to working with communities to generate support and participation in preventing and treating illness and injury.

“Giving the community the equipment and expertise to help save lives while an ambulance is on the way is building community resilience in the most amazing way,”Mr Williams says.

St John supports the widespread access to defibrillators by members of the public, especially in community areas where crowds of people gather. St John also recommends that every public place, home and workplace should have at least one person trained in first aid, including CPR.

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Note: Questions and Answers follow
Automated External Defibrillators: Questions and Answers

Why are defibrillators so vital in public places?

 Cardiac arrest patients in ventricular fibrillation have a 70% chance of successful resuscitation if defibrillated within the first three minutes of arrest. But with each subsequent minute that passes, the chance of success drops by up to 10%.

 Ambulances and hospitals have sophisticated manual defibrillators, which require a greater degree of skill and training to operate. However, most patients in cardiac arrest literally cannot wait for an ambulance to arrive or to get to hospital. They need immediate assistance.

How do you use an Automated External Defibrillator?

* If someone collapses with a suspected heart attack or cardiac arrest, members of the public should immediately call an ambulance and start CPR, while another person locates the defibrillator and prepares it for use.

* When the defibrillator is switched on, the user simply follows the clear audio and visual prompts that guide them step-by-step through the few simple actions required.

* The defibrillator comes with two pads (electrodes) which are placed diagonally on the chest. The defibrillator first diagnoses any abnormal heart activity and, if ‘defibrillation’ is required, delivers an electrical shock across the heart muscle which will often restore normal heart rhythm.

* The defibrillator will only allow a shock to be delivered if it is appropriate for the patient’s condition, so members of the public do not need to worry about hurting a patient.

* It is as simple as applying the pads and pushing the button.

* Automated External Defibrillators can be easily and safely operated by almost anyone including older children.

 An Automated External Defibrillator costs about $3600 (including GST) each. This is a lot less than the value of a single human life.

How big a problem is cardiac arrest?

 It is important to note that cardiac arrest and heart attack are not synonymous. A heart attack is where, for a variety of reasons, the heart is not functioning normally. A cardiac arrest is where the heart has stopped altogether.

* Sudden cardiac arrest kills hundreds of thousands of people worldwide every year.

* In New Zealand, there are about 3,000 cardiac arrests each year and only 9 out of every 100 survive. The most crucial survival factors are immediate CPR and early defibrillation.

* Cardiac arrest can strike anyone or either gender, all ages and occupations, regardless of weight or level of fitness.

* In New Zealand, men aged 60 to 65 are statistically at greatest risk.

About the ILT Foundation
ILT Foundation distributes funds to the community of Invercargill from the proceeds of gaming machines operated in Invercargill Licensing Trust hotels, taverns and bars. The Foundation is a non-profit organisation and supports a broad cross section of non-profit community groups, charities, welfare agencies and educational organisations.

For more information about the ILT Foundation, go to www.iltfoundation.org.nz/

About St John
St John is New Zealand’s largest provider of ambulance services, and a leading provider of first aid training courses and first aid products. We provide a wide range of emergency care, first aid and community care services in communities all over the country.

For more information about buying a defibrillator or about CPR training for members of the public and workplaces, contact St John on 0800 ST JOHN (0800 785 646) or go to www.stjohn.org.nz

ENDS

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