St John and Indigenous groups provide defibrillators for remote areas

Defibrilliators can be the difference between recovery and tragedy in an emergency.

However, the lifesaving devices are often out of reach for remote communities.

St John WA has teamed up with four Indigenous organisations — the Wirrpanda Foundation, Clontarf and the Moorditj Koort and Yinhawangka Aboriginal corporations — to supply 14 defibrillators to towns across the Mid West and the Goldfields.

“It’s a great program to be a part of,” Clontarf managing director Marcus Harrold said.

“Through providing these defibrillators, St John WA is bridging the gap in supporting Indigenous communities with access to vital healthcare services.”

Among the towns included are Geraldton, Wiluna, Laverton, Menzies and Mount Margaret.

They are among more than 2500 WA locations which form the Community First Responder Network. Defibrillators can be found at sports clubs, shopping centres and restaurants, and can be operated by anyone.

“(The defibrillators) talk to you, so once you open it up, you just have to be a good listener,” Mr Harrold said.

About 33,000 people die from cardiac arrest in Australia every year.

Where CPR and an AED are applied, survival rates can be 70 per cent higher.