The Metung and Lakes Entrance communities have received a major health boost, with a new heart-starting device installed in each town.
The new automated external defibrillators (AEDs) were made possible due to fundraising by the Lakes Entrance Ambulance Auxiliary and a local donation.
AEDs are used in an attempt to shock the heart back into rhythm following a cardiac arrest and can be used by anyone.
Cardiac arrest is when a person's heart suddenly stops beating and can happen to anyone, anytime, anywhere.
AV employees and auxilary members at a local event.
Ambulance Victoria Lakes Entrance Team Manager Gerry Richardson said you don't have to be a paramedic to be a life saver.
"Anyone can save a life – it's as easy as calling Triple Zero (000), pushing hard and fast in the middle of the chest and, if available, using an AED to deliver a shock," Gerry said.
"Every minute matters in a cardiac arrest, and when a patient receives CPR and a shock from an AED before paramedics arrive, their chance of survival more than doubles," he said.
Both new devices are available for the public to access and use in a medical emergency 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
The new AEDs are located at:
- Metung Village Store – 62 Metung Rd, Metung
- Slipway Sheds, The Esplanade, Lakes Entrance
AV auxiliary members at The Float with the new AED.
Earlier this month, Lakes Entrance Paramedics, Lakes Entrance Ambulance Auxiliary, and Paynesville Ambulance Community Officers attended a community expo, providing cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) demonstrations and teaching locals how to use an AED.
Ambulance Victoria Auxiliary members are dedicated volunteers who raise funds that provide paramedics with new equipment and branches in regional areas, patient transfer stations and elite training to continue to improve the skillset of the workforce.
Ambulance Community Officers are First Responders employed by AV on a casual basis to work on-call in rural and remote communities and volunteer much of their time to maintaining their skills.
Registered AEDs in Metung, Lakes Entrance, and across Victoria can be found here.
