June 6, 2016
Do you remember when portable heart defibrillators were so rare they made front page news when they saved a life?
When media mogul Kerry Packer was resuscitated with a defibrillator in 1990 in Sydney after suffering a heart attack while playing polo, it was only by chance the ambulance that turned up had one on board.
Packer promptly made a generous donation to ensure all NSW ambulances in future would carry the life-saving devices.
Nowadays, defibrillators can be found at sporting clubs, shopping centres, aged care facilities and in many workplaces, thanks to generous fundraising by groups such as Rotary and the fact the cost of the life-saving machines has plummeted.
Now there are calls for all farmers to have a defibrillator available on their farms.
St John Ambulance Queensland and AgForce have joined together to urge farmers to make the investment.
St John CEO Alex Hutton said heart disease was Australia’s number one killer and took a life every 26 minutes.
“Sudden cardiac arrest can happen to anyone, anywhere, anytime, no matter what their age or gender,” Mr Hutton said.
“For every passing minute without a defibrillator shock, the chance of survival reduces by 10 per cent – and with the average response time from an ambulance being between nine and 14 minutes, defibrillators can save lives.
“Without a defibrillator close by, the survival rate for cardiac arrest is somewhere between 2 and 5 per cent.”
AgForce General President Grant Maudsley said most farmers lived and worked in remote locations a long way from medical assistance so having equipment like first aid kits and defibrillators on the property was very important.
“While farming is an extremely rewarding profession, it also has risks and dangers, so it’s incumbent on all of us to do what we can to ensure our workplace health and safety is of the highest standard possible,” he said.
“While you can always replace your farm machinery, your family members are irreplaceable.”
Mr Hutton encouraged all Queensland farmers to be equipped with defibrillators and everyone on the farm trained in their operation, with St John offering a special deal for AgForce members.
“We understand there is a cost implication to farmers and landholders in purchasing a defibrillator and training everyone. St John (Qld) will provide a free alarmed cabinet, carry case, responder kit, signage visibility kit and CPR training with every defibrillator purchased by AgForce members,” Mr Hutton said.
“Having a lifesaving defibrillator on the farm provides immediate peace of mind that our farmers, landholders and their staff have the best possible chance of survival in the event of a cardiac arrest.”
