DECEMBER HAKIHEA 2021
Lifesaving begins at the local level by Ann Packer Four people each week in the Greater Wellington region have a sudden cardiac arrest – that’s a heart attack to ordinary folk. But the good news is, the region has the second highest survival rate for sudden cardiac arrests in the world – after Seattle, USA, where Wellington Free Ambulance staff went 12 years ago in order to discover their secret. It seems compulsory CPR training for college students, and having AEDs (defibrillators) in a “huge number” of locations, makes all the difference. The only ambulance service in Aotearoa New Zealand that’s actually free, and the only 24/7 paramedic service in our region, Wellington Free Ambulance travels as far north as PekaPeka, and includes the Wairarapa. We’re talking “sirens and lights” ambulances here – not “paracetamol and plaster” first-aid at sports grounds and rock concerts, but the life-saving variety. However, lifesaving can begin at a very local level, even before the ambulance arrives, and that’s where CPR training and AEDs come in. “Early CPR and defibrillation increases a patient’s chance of survival by up to 80%,” says Senior Heartbeat Coordinator and Point Howard resident Rachel Evans. “That’s why we want everyone in our communities to know how to do CPR.” AEDs – automated external defibrillators – are those cabinets you see stuck on the side of garages, café walls, and in many large business premises, containing a small device in a suitcase that can restart the heart. Not all are accessible to the public and not all are registered with 111, which means they can't necessarily be accessed when required in an emergency. There are eight public AEDs in Eastbourne – at least one in each bay. The latest to be installed by WFA are in Mahina Bay and at
Compass Coffee barista Sefton, left, with Senior Heartbeat Coordinator Rachel Evans and Burnsco's Richard Gordon in front of the new public AED at the Seaview Marina.
Compass Coffee at Seaview Marina. Free CPR training for staff is part of the package. Each AED has a keypad allowing you to tap in a code supplied by the 111 service – it opens the door and allows the case with the pads to be lifted out. After that, the machine tells you what to do. They are easy to use – designed for people who’ve never used one, says Mrs Evans. They self-test constantly and do not need testing or regular servicing. Each time the device is used the battery and pads need replacing – for WFA AEDs the cost is covered by the Lloyd Morrison
Foundation. The key factor in Wellington’s successful survival rate has been the vision of Julie Nevett and the Foundation, which not only buys a new ambulance each year (they need eight in total) but funds the Heartbeat programme helping train schools, businesses and community groups to know what to do to potentially save a life. Even bad CPR is better than no CPR, says Mrs Evans, who has done her time on the road and now runs the Heartbeat programme. All that stuff from first aid courses that left you in dread of being first on the scene of an accident (Continues Page 2)
FROM THE TEAM AT Seasons Greetings EAST BY WEST FERRIES Upcoming Christmas and New Year ferry timetable: Friday 24th December - Weekday timetable Saturday 25th December - No services Sunday 26th December - Sunday 9th January 2021 - Weekend timetable Monday 10th January - Normal weekday timetable resumes
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