A Sydney council has rolled out defibrillators as part of its public facilities risk management strategy.

The automated external defibrillators (AEDS), which can be life saving when used with CPR, can help members of the community provide assistance in sudden cardiac emergencies.

They have been installed at 22 locations including community halls, public gardens, libraries, council-owned golf courses and on a bushfire fighting truck, Ku-ring-gai Council says.

Defibrillators have also been installed at council Chambers, Ku-ring-gai Town Hall and seniors meeting rooms.

The locations were selected based on a risk management assessment.

AEDs can be life-saving in cases of sudden cardiac arrest. Used in conjunction with CPR, the portable devices deliver a controlled electric shot to restart the heart’s rhythm.

The use of an AED by a bystander one of the key opportunities for increasing survival from an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, but they must be retrievable within minutes of an arrest – or about 100 metres from the scene, according the to the Heart Foundation.

Council invested $60,000 to install the AEDS, which will now allow members of the public to provide assistance to cardiac patients while waiting for paramedics to arrive.

“The installation of the defibrillators is part of an overall risk management strategy for public use of our facilities,” Mayor Jeff Pettett told Government News.

“If you are in a situation where you need to use one of these defibrillators, they are very easy to operate. Once turned on the device will instantly give you voice prompts to follow.”

According to NSW Health, over 8,500 people experience cardiac arrest in NSW every year. 

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