Waiotira and Kiwi North get defibrillators thanks to St John

Two pieces of life-saving equipment have been donated to local Whangārei communities thanks to St John.

St John area committee chairman Murray Coop said two Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) had been installed at Kiwi North Museum and at the Waiotira Golf Club.

Coop said the presence of the defibrillators were an important part of saving lives where quick action could make a big difference in the outcome of a patient having cardiac arrest.

St John agreed to fund the entire cost of the defibrillators for both locations.

Coop said both devices had been registered on a database that was accessed by the 111 service so the devices could be located and instruction given over the phone in an emergency.

"The funds have been raised from within our community and we believe that providing this equipment locally is a key part of saving lives and for St John to show support for the district," Coop said.

"Our intention is to identify other key locations for defibrillator installation in the future."

Allie Fry, from Kiwi North, said installation of a defibrillator at Kiwi North was something they had been working towards for a couple of years.

"With the resident clubs on the property having an average age of 80 years and the thousands of people that utilise Kiwi North as a community space every year plus visitors from all over the world and New Zealand, it is an valuable inclusion in the site's health and safety programme."

Large donations towards a defibrillator were made by a private donor and the Whangārei Model Engineering Club (mini trains), with smaller contributions from other clubs. However St John decided to fully fund and donate a unit.

Subsequently Whangārei Model Engineering Club is now financing a First Responders course for representatives from all the clubs at Kiwi North, and donating the remainder to St John.

The defibrillator will be positioned externally at the main Kiwi North entrance, with 24-hour access.

Jess Southee, of Waiotira Community, said having a defibrillator in the growing rural community would be beneficial to everyone. The unit was based outside the golf club.

"Because we are remote and often emergency services are unfamiliar with our area it can take a long time for them to come to the rescue. Having a defibrillator will mean that in the unlikely event of a cardiac arrest we have the means to potentially save our own people's lives and can be reassured if we have to do CPR that we are doing it correctly."

Website with location of AEDs in the Whangārei area is: https://aedlocations.co.nz/