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^{Photo: Lachy Townsend (Coastline), Mr Lewis (St Paul's Catholic Secondary College Principal), Marika Crilley (Coastline) & Mr Edwards (St Paul's Catholic Secondary College)}

St Paul’s Catholic Secondary College has purchased a lifesaving defibrillator to assist in the event of a sudden cardiac arrest, as well as a first aid kit following financial support by Coastline Credit Union.

St Paul’s have seen an increase in the number of both school and public functions held at the College’s Edmund Rice Hall, hosting up to 300 people per event.

The Treasurer for St Paul’s’ P&F Association Mr Peter Livermore said people from all walks in the community and across various age groups enquire about using the hall.

“We thought it would be advisable to have a defibrillator and first aid kit onsite, kept in the hall at all times,” said Peter.

St Paul’s Principal Mr Kevin Lewis said having a defibrillator onsite is a relief for both the College and attendees to events hosted at the hall.

“This device provides extra comfort and peace of mind that if an emergency is to take place, we have the equipment necessary to potentially save lives.”

Coastline’s Community Hub Team Leader Kristy Wills received the request from St Paul’s’ P & F Association and immediately thought this initiative was a worthwhile endeavour, benefiting not only the school, but the local community as well.

“Coastline’s heritage is based on a deep commitment to our communities and we are very pleased to be able to help our society host community events safely and confidently by providing a device that can save lives in emergency situations”, said Mrs Wills.

The Automatic External Defibrillator (AED) is used in conjunction with Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) to deliver a controlled electrical shock to a person experiencing a sudden cardiac arrest.

The Heart Foundation states about 25,000 people have a cardiac arrest out of hospital each year in Australia with only 5% of these people surviving.

If an AED is applied within the first few minutes of a cardiac arrest, survival rates can increase from 10% to as high as 70%

An AED cannot harm the patient and will only give a shock if necessary, only shocking them if they are in cardiac arrest and has been designed to be used by anyone, with clear, calm step-by-step voice instructions that can guide members of the public through the emergency.