Wyndham City is installing lifesaving defibrillators at more than 20 Council facilities in February.
The defibrillators are used to help people survive sudden cardiac arrest by delivering an electrical pulse that aims to restart the heart.
They will be located at community centres, libraries, Encore Entertainment Centre, the Wyndham Cultural Centre and the Refuse Disposal Facility.
Wyndham City’s Community Safety portfolio holder, Cr Susan McIntyre, said: “It is important to call an ambulance on 000 immediately if you or someone else may be having a heart attack.”
“We commonly associate a heart attack with chest pain, however there are other symptoms that we should also be aware off. If you are at risk of a heart attack it is best to seek information from your doctor.”
“The suddenness of a heart attack can mean that assistance needs to be provided even if emergency services have been called or on their way, and in these instances a defibrillator could make all the difference in saving a life.”
The Social Health Atlases of Australia shows a higher than average incidence of death from heart disease in Wyndham at 136.4 per cent when compared to Greater Melbourne at 87 per cent and Australia at 100 per cent.*
Heart disease is the broad term for conditions that affect the structure and function of the heart muscle. It includes coronary heart disease, heart failure, valve disease and arrhythmias.
More information: www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/videos/heart-attack-know-the-warning-signs
*[Source: Based on Public Health Information Development Unit (PHIDU), Torrens University Australia material from: Social Health Atlases of Australia: LGAs (online) [2016 to 2020] Accessed date April 2023]