Life-saving defibrillators available for Hunter sport facilities

The equipment is funded under the NSW Government’s Local Sport Defibrillator Grant Program which provides up to $3,000 to eligible sporting organisations for the purchase of automated external defibrillators at sports facilities. Since the Program commenced, more than 2,000 defibrillators have been installed at sports facilities across NSW.

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Member for the Hunter, Yasmin Catley, emphasized the importance of this funding: “We’re making sure Hunter sporting facilities are equipped to respond quickly and effectively in the event of a life-threatening incident. We want people to have the best chance of survival, which means having more defibrillators in closer proximity to places these incidents are more likely to occur. This program will help sporting clubs purchase and install this lifesaving equipment.”

Minister for Sport, Steve Kamper, highlighted the critical nature of timely access to defibrillators: “With more than 9,000 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests in NSW each year, the first few minutes following an incident are critical, and access to a defibrillator can mean the difference between life and death. The NSW Government wants to ensure people participating in sport have access to this life-saving equipment. The Local Sport Defibrillator Program ensures clubs are equipped to respond to these life-threatening emergencies.”

Professor Jamie Vandenberg, Co-deputy Director of the Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute, added: “Being able to access a defibrillator quickly and easily could be the difference between life and death for someone suffering a sudden cardiac arrest. In fact, survival rates nearly double if a defibrillator is used in the first few minutes of a cardiac arrest. Currently, just one in 10 people who have a sudden cardiac arrest outside of hospital will survive. This is a sobering statistic, but it’s one we can change for the better by installing more of these lifesaving devices in sports clubs across the State.”

Applications close 27 November 2024 or when funding is exhausted. For further information, including eligibility criteria, please see the Program guidelines at: https://www.sport.nsw.gov.au/grants/local-sport-defibrillator-grant-program