The move follows a request from Councillor Charbel Abouraad who said that without a defibrillator, if you suffer cardiac arrest you have less than a five per cent chance of survival, but having an operational defibrillator that is accessible and in the hands of a trained first responder, could increase your chance of survival to up to 70 per cent.
Cr Abouraad says it’s not a simple matter of just buying units and putting them around, and also asked the council to consider volunteer training/education, costs associated with the maintenance and ongoing services.
He says a number of sporting clubs or leasees have purchased a defibrillator and ensure training for relevant committee members and volunteers is carried out, and also cover maintenance costs and ensure their defibrillator is up to date.
“Often this has been achieved with the support of various grants and fundraising initiatives, though it isn’t as widespread as I would have hoped,” he said.
A report is expected back to the council in June.
