Tuesday, 5 December 2017

Westernport Field and Came Club is set to take its game up a notch when it comes to dealing with an emergency on and off the park with a new defibrillator and training package from the Andrews Labor Government.

Member for Eastern Victoria Region, Harriet Shing, today announced that Westernport Field and Game Club was one of 301 successful applicants across the state to receive the package from the third round of the new Defibrillators for Sporting Clubs and Facilities Program.

The Andrews Labor Government is getting on with the roll out of 1,000 life-saving defibrillators to clubs and facilities Victoria.

Our roll out has been a huge success – delivering almost 900 defibrillators to clubs. That means there are still over 100 defibrillators and training packages still up for grabs.

Defibrillators at local sports clubs like Westernport Field and Game Club keep players safe; spectators protected, and are a vital tool for the community.

In a life threatening sudden cardiac arrest – every second counts, and bystanders play a critical role.

Without a defibrillator close by, the survival rate for sudden cardiac arrest is somewhere between two and five per cent. When a defibrillator is used within the first few minutes, the rate of survival can rise to 70 per cent.

The great news is that more bystanders than ever are stepping in to save lives. The use of public defibrillators for cardiac arrests has soared four-fold from 2.8 per cent in 2006/07 to 11 per cent in 2015/16.

The new devices will appear on Ambulance Victoria’s database, so that triple zero operators will be able to direct callers to the new devices available when emergency strikes.

For more information about the Defibrillators for Sporting Clubs and Facilities Program or how to apply online for future rounds, visit www.sport.vic.gov.au.

Quotes attributable to Member for Eastern Victoria Region, Harriet Shing:

“We here in Gippsland are proud of our local sports clubs like Westernport Field and Game, situated at Rhyll, and their efforts to make their environment more safe and enjoyable for all.”

“This funding will help more clubs to have the right equipment and training in case an emergency strikes.”

Quote attributable to Minister for Sport John Eren:

“My cardiac arrest changed my life. I know only too well just how important it is to have a defibrillator nearby.”