News
8 January, 2025
RSL’s donation could be lifesaving
Kilcoy locals will now be able to easily access an Automatic External Defibrillator (AED) during emergencies, thanks to a generous donation from the Kilcoy RSL to the Kilcoy Local Ambulance Committee.
Kilcoy RSL Vice President Andrew Hoare and RSL committee member John Robinson presented the AED to staff of Kilcoy Ambulance Station and committee members after Advanced Care Paramedic Jock Ruthven saw a need for a 24/7, publicly available defibrillator being easily accessible within the Kilcoy township.
The AED will be free for any member of the public to use in an emergency, especially if the local ambulance is away attending another patient.
A triple zero dispatcher can inform a member of the public of the location of this AED when they call to report someone unconscious and not breathing, especially if the on-duty ambulance is already attending another patient elsewhere.
As time is critical, this AED could help save time and someone’s life.
The dispatcher will also instruct the bystander(s) on starting CPR and see if one of the bystanders can go to the station and bring back the AED, allowing the defibrillator to restart the patient’s heart whilst the ambulance is on its way.
The nearest ambulance will be dispatched, usually from the nearest town to Kilcoy.
