Shocking Training Session

Posted by Michael Crowe and Harry Bracegirdle on Dec 22, 2020

In recent years Port Fairy Rotary has donated two defibrillators for deployment around the town, one located at the Star of the West hotel and one at the BP Service Station. Ready access to a defibrillator is critical as time is of the essence for survival. Two sessions of defibrillator training for staff at the hotel and the BP were organised by the Rotary Club of Port Fairy in consultation with managers, Kathy Matthews of the BP and Caroline Lumley of the Star. The sessions were ran by local paramedic, Woody Bucci, from Ambulance Victoria who kindly donated his time.

Woody Bucci Ambulance Victoria

A defibrillator or AED is a portable device that checks the heart’s rhythm and sends a shock to the heart to restore a normal rhythm. The device is used to help people having sudden cardiac arrest. Early defibrillation combined with CPR can improve survival rates to as high as 74% when defibrillation is provided within three minutes of collapse. For every minute that is wasted, the chance of survival decreases 7-10%.

Sticky pads with sensors and electrodes, are attached to the chest of someone who is having cardiac arrest. The sensors send information about the person's heart rhythm to a computer in the AED. The computer analyzes the heart rhythm. If needed, the electrodes deliver the shock.

Rotarian John Clue practices CPR

Sita from BP attaches the defibrillator pads