24-hour Defib now available at Ungarie Showgrounds

Ungarie's first 24-hour accessible defibrillator was installed at the Ungarie Showground and will now be available for use in emergencies.

The Ungarie community, with the assistance of funding from the NSW Government's Local Sport Defibrillator Program, initially purchased the defibrillator in 2019. The defibrillator was originally located in a kiosk at the Ungarie Showgrounds that was opened only for community and sporting events until late June of this year.

Early in 2023, the Ungarie Showground, Racecourse and Recreation Reserve Committee began collaboration with the Community Defib Project, where they established a plan to increase the accessibility of their defibrillator for the community and visitors.

The Committee, with the assistance of the Community Defib Project, elected to achieve this by installing an AED Outdoor Community Pin-Coded Cabinet that is accessible 24/7. The cabinet is located on the outside of the new amenities block at the Showgrounds and can be accessed by any campers, community member or by those just passing through Ungarie at any time by entering the code to the cabinet. The code can be found on the cabinet cover.

Initially the Committee intended to fundraise locally for the cabinet. However upon learning of the Committee's intention early in 2023, Bland Shire Council nominated to support the initiative by donating funds to purchase the cabinet for the community.

The Secretary of the Committee, Nicole Lewis, commented on the significance of increased accessibility of the defibrillator, stating that 'the defib is a valuable asset to the town, one that could save the life of one of our family or friends'.

The Ungarie Showground is a popular stop over for travelers also, which increased the motivation for the Committee to improve the accessibility of the device should an emergency arise.

Although the Committee hopes the device is never needed, Nicole said that '[they] are much more comfortable knowing that if it is required, it is accessible and available at all times'.

There are a number of defibrillators located across all towns and villages within the Bland Shire for use of residents in the event of an emergency. These defibrillators are designed to be used by the average person rather than restricting the use of the life-saving devices to medical professionals in the case of an emergency.

A defibrillator works by sending an electric shock to the heart when a heart stops or has an irregular rhythm. This electric shock can prompt the heart to begin beating again or even the rhythm. Research shows that survival rates can increase by 70% if a defibrillator is on hand in the case of a cardiac emergency.

All residents are encouraged to visit the Bland Shire Council website to view a map of 24-hour defibrillator (external) locations around the Shire, or download the Service NSW App for a real-time defibrillator locator. Businesses can nominate their defibrillators to be included in the locator via Service NSW's register of automated external defibrillators.

Being aware of where these devices are located has the potential to save someone's life in the event of a cardiac emergency in the future.