Defibrillators Save Lives

Last modified: November 6, 2009 - 10:46 AM

Wollondilly Shire Council has recently purchased three defibrillators and we believe that having them at the Council offices could potentially save lives.

Defibrillators are used to restore the heart to a normal pumping rhythm after a sudden cardiac arrest. A victim’s best chance of surviving a cardiac arrest is to receive a shock from a defibrillator within five minutes of the collapse.

Council has dedicated staff that have been trained in the use of defibrillators. We have the defibrillators at different locations at Council including the front counter, the Library and the depot.

Wollondilly has taken this idea to the Local Governm1ent Shires Association Conference in Tamworth in October this year. Wollondilly asked the members at the Conference in a Motion for Consideration that:

“The Local Government Shires Association lobby with Workcover for changes to the Occupational Health and Safety Regulations, 2001 to require:

 The provision of defibrillators as a component of first aid facilities for all large
companies/organisations/workplaces;

 The provision of an annual system of checking/maintenance of defibrillators by trained
personnel; and

 To modify the legislation as necessary to ensure that litigation is minimised should the
use of defibrillators by lay persons be unsuccessful or have undesirable consequences
in any particular instance.

Note from Council:
There is no current LGA Policy on the provision of defibrillators. The provision of defibrillators has potential life saving benefits and is no longer cost prohibitive. “

This Motion for Consideration was accepted by the Conference and will now be lobbied by the Association.

Contact details
Communications Officer
Tel: 02 4677 8244
http://www.wollondilly.nsw.gov.au
council@wollondilly.nsw.gov.au

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