Federal Member for Blaxland Jason Clare today announced that 8 lifesaving defibrillators have been allocated to local Bankstown Football Clubs, the Bankstown Basketball Stadium and the Western Districts Joggers and Harriers.
The local football clubs that will benefit from this important project include:
- Bankstown Sports Strikers (The Crest)
- Bass Hill RSL (Walshaw Park)
- Greenacre Eagles (Allum Park)
- East Bankstown (Gosling Park)
- North Bankstown (Graf Park)
- Yagoona Lions (O’Neill Park)
The remaining defibrillators will be allocated to the Bankstown Basketball Stadium in Condell Park and the Western Districts Joggers and Harriers who hold their runs at Lake Gillawarna in Georges Hall.
Funding for these defibrillators comes from Jason Clare’s Stronger Communities Programme and Bankstown Council.
“This is lifesaving equipment. Every minute counts when someone has a heart attack. According to St John Ambulance the use of a defibrillator and CPR within 2 – 3 minutes of a sudden cardiac arrest increases the survival rate to 75 percent,” Mr Clare said.
Every year 33,000 Australians suffer from sudden cardiac arrest. It can happen to anyone regardless of their age or level of fitness.
In 2014 there were five deaths on football fields within Sydney.
Defibrillators are used to detect a patient’s heart rhythm and, if needed, automatically administer a shock to re-establish a normal rhythm. The defibrillators have been designed to be easy to use and the user is guided using visual and voice prompts.
The Stronger Communities Programme provides grants of up to $20,000 to local not-for-profit organisations for small capital works projects that improve our community.
Media Contact: Jamie Wassef 02 9790 2466
