AED numbers boosted in Bunbury

• St John WA and the City of Bunbury are set to add 10 new Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) in publicly accessible areas, primarily around the central business distribut,
• The City and St John selected the locations to ensure ease of access for all community members,
• Locations of the AEDs are available on the St John ‘First Responder’ app.

The City of Bunbury, together with St John WA, has added 10 new Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) in publicly accessible areas across the Bunbury CBD.

The newly allocated defibrillators have been placed in strategic locations to ensure easy access for all community members, with the distance in between each designed to maximise chances of survival in the event of cardiac arrest. Deployment was also based on locations where the risk of cardiac arrest is potentially greatest, to maximise coverage and 24-hour access.

Established in 2011, the St John WA Community First Responder program is a free service that aims to get defibrillators to cardiac arrest victims in the vital minutes before an ambulance arrives. Locations of all registered AEDs are listed on the St John First Responder app.

Community access to a nearby defibrillator can make all the difference for a patient experiencing a cardiac episode and AEDs within the community can improve the survival rates of sudden cardiac arrest.

St John Regional Manager for the South West, Dianne Langford-Fisher said she was proud to see the growing network and improved access to AEDs in WA’s south.

“The greater allocation of AEDs in accessible locations will further strengthen St John WA’s commitment to supporting West Australians with their healthcare needs,” Ms Langford-Fisher said. 

Bunbury Mayor, Jaysen De San Miguel, said the collaboration with St John  was a fantastic step towards the ongoing improvement of health and safety in the Bunbury community.

“The City is thrilled to be partnering with St John WA for such an important cause,” he said.

“We aim for this partnership to go beyond this deployment with a commitment to expand this network over coming years to ensure greater access for all of our community members.”

To register a new or existing defibrillator with the Community First Responder network, businesses can upload the location through St John WA’s First Responder mobile application, or via the St John website.