SPORTING clubs across Melbourne’s West will receive life-saving equipment after St John Ambulance Victoria launched its latest community program last week.
The state’s leading first-aid provider will donate defibrillators and associated training to grass roots clubs over the coming months.
In the first phase of the Heart Start campaign, 100 defibrillator units worth $385,000 will be gifted to high priority clubs ahead of the amateur sports season.
It is hoped that by the beginning of the 2014 season over 2000 clubs will have a defibrillator on site and be prepared to use it if required.
St John chief executive officer Stephen Horton said the campaign was inspired by the spate of sudden cardiac arrests that occurred at community sporting clubs last year and the organisation’s desire to help avoid preventable deaths this season.
Research shows that for every minute without a defibrillator shock, the chance of survival for a patient reduces by 10 per cent, and with the average response time from an ambulance being nine to 14 minutes, having a defibrillator on hand is paramount to survival.
Clubs wanting to apply for a defibrillator and associated training from St John will need to register online and fill out an application form by 30 March. Applications will be assessed based on the club’s financial situation, the type of sport they participate in, proximity to medical services and their level of risk.
