The Lilydale Police have more ways to save lives after receiving two Automated External Defibrillator AEDs.
Valued at $4645, the two defibs were sponsored by the Community Bank Wandin-Seville and will contribute to public safety..
Community Bank Wandin-Seville executive officer Leah Thompson said the Lilydale Police had approached the bank for the sponsorship.
“We had them delivered over to us, and we went down and presented them to the police.
“They were super grateful,” she said.
One AED will be installed on a police response van while the other will be located at the Lilydale Police Station for public use.
AEDs are automated devices that are used during a cardiac arrest to shock the patient’s heart back into normal function.
They are designed to be used by anyone regardless of medical training as they provide simple, step-by-step instructions.
Ms Thompson said it was crucial for the police to have AEDs on hand when responding to emergencies.
“They were saying that a lot of the time when there’s emergencies or accidents they’re usually their first on the scene and they beat the ambulance and CFA.
“They’re always the first ones to know when something’s wrong and when something’s happening, so it’s super important,” she said.
The two AEDs for Lilydale Police Station are the most recent additions to recent AED sponsorships by Community Bank Wandin-Seville.
Community Bank Wandin-Seville have also donated defibs to Mont De Lancey Historical Homestead, Seville CFA and Seville Preschool.
There are many defibs stationed around the Upper Yarra for the public to access in an emergency.
Ambulance Victoria’s latest data showed that Victoria has the best cardiac survival rates in Australia, and the third best anywhere in the world.
Ambulance Victoria medical director associate professor David Anderson said it is essential to know CPR, how to use an Automated External Defibrillator (AED) and where your closest defibrillator is located.
“We are urging the community to refresh their knowledge about CPR and how to use a defibrillator. For every minute CPR is delayed, survival decreases by 10 per cent.”
Mr Anderson said the Call, Push and Shock phrase was a good way to remember how to act in an emergency.
“Our message is simple – you don’t need to be a paramedic to save a life, just remember to Call (Triple Zero 000), Push (perform CPR) and Shock (use an AED).”
If you want to find out the closest AED to you, then you can check out the map at the link: goodsamapp.org/locatorMap
