Council gets behind Here for Hearts program
Published on 07 January 2016
If a member of your organisation was to have a Sudden Cardiac Arrest today, would you be prepared?
This month Rockhampton Regional Council is throwing its support behind the Here for Hearts program, a joint initiative between Westfund and the Defibshop that allows community groups and schools to apply for an Automated External Defibrillator (AED) at a co-funded discounted price.
To encourage local organisations to participate in this program Mayor Margaret Strelow has announced that Council will donate $500 towards an AED for ten individually approved community groups who apply.
“We want to make life saving AED’s more widespread and readily available in our community, so to help community groups afford the device, Council will pitch in $500,” Mayor Strelow said.
Mayor Strelow is encouraging schools, sporting clubs, community gyms and community function centres who do not already own an AED to apply.
“It’s important that companies and community organisations are aware of the Here for Hearts program and take advantage of the opportunity to be well equipped with lifesaving technology,” she said.
“The more defibrillators we have in our community the greater chance we have at saving lives.”
According to Here for Hearts, defibrillators delivered within minutes of a Sudden Cardiac Arrest could increase survival rates by more than 80%.
Community groups who wish to apply for Council’s $500 donation are encouraged to register their interest at mayor@rrc.qld.gov.au before Monday 25th January 2016. Successful applicants will then continue their application to (Westfund) the Here for Hearts Program.
Council’s $5000 contribution will be delivered from the Mayor’s Council Discretionary Fund.
Community Groups who are not successful in the application for Council donations are still encouraged to apply for a discounted AED through the Here for Hearts Program which runs until December 2016. www.westfund.com.au/hearts.
What is an AED?
Successful applicants will receive a Zoll AED Plus. The AED (Automated External Defibrillator) is fully automatic and instructs the rescuer with both CPR and defibrillation using clear easy to follow voice commands. For infrequent users, the AED Plus supports the complete chain of survival and provides defibrillation, step-by-step CPR instructions and Real CPR Help feedback on compression rate and depth to help rescuers provide the best manual CPR possible. They are safe, simple to use and can save lives. For more information on AED’s and the package available from the Here for Hearts Community Defibrillator program, contact the Defibshop at info@defibshop.com.au or phone 1300 729 575.
How to apply for Council’s donation
Email mayor@rrc.qld.gov.au and include:
- Overview of your organisation
- Why do you think an AED would be beneficial to your organisation and who would benefit
- Contact details and postal address.