Wellington Free Ambulance / News

Wellington Free Ambulance launch capital's first public access defibrillator (23 August 2011)

Wellington city’s first alarmed public access automatic external defibrillator will be formally launched on Thursday 25 August.

The public access defibrillator will be located at the Wellington Railway Station, next to the Customer Service Enquiry Desk.

The defibrillator is clearly branded and an audible alarm sounds when the defibrillator is accessed alerting platform staff to a medical emergency within the station.

The defibrillator is also registered with the Emergency Ambulance Communications Centre so that 111 callers who are not aware of the defibrillators location can be directed to it in the event of an emergency at the station.

Wellington Free Ambulance extended care paramedic Mr Paul Fake is leading the initiative.  “This will be the first alarmed public access defibrillator in a public place in the central city.

“It’s appropriate that the first AED is positioned in the Wellington Railway station due to the high pedestrian traffic count throughout the day, and around sporting events.”

The timing of the launch coincides with the Rugby World Cup and the higher than usual pedestrian numbers using the Wellington Railway Station to access the Wellington Regional Stadium.

Wellington Free Ambulance regularly attends to 111 calls in and around the railway station and there have been a number of high profile cardiac arrests amongst fans attending rugby games and concerts.

To mark the launch of the defibrillator, Wellington Free Ambulance and Wellington Girls College will be holding CPR demonstrations in the Railway Station.

Members of the public are invited to join in on the demonstrations and sudden cardiac arrest survivor Kendall Eade will be on hand to talk about surviving a cardiac arrest.

Mr Fake said that “community education and training on the use of AEDs and effective CPR can save the life of sudden cardiac arrest victims.”

Wellington Free Ambulance offers free community CPR training to schools and community groups in the Wellington region under a scheme funded by the Nikau foundation called Operation Heartbeat.

To help save a life book your school or community group in for a free CPR training course by sending an email to andrew.dunning@wfa.org.nz or go to www.operationheartbeat.org.nz.

The public access defibrillator programme is a joint initiative between Wellington Free Ambulance and charity partner the Rotary Club of Wellington.

Wellington Free Ambulance security partner, Harbour City Security, has donated the alarm technology and hardware.

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For more information please call: Ross Cameron - 027 22 33 894