Caravan businesses install AEDs

A CARAVAN business in Newcomb has taken a proactive attitude towards safety by installing Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) at its two sites.

The AEDs have been placed in prominent locations at Geelong Trailers and Caravans at 7 Roxanne Place and Prestige Caravan Repair Centre at 176–178 Bellarine Highway.

Prestige Caravan Repair Centre’s Trinette McKoy said the installation of the two devices at the two sites was a significant step towards enhancing the safety and well-being of it employees, visitors and customers.

“The decision to install these life-saving devices underscores our commitment to creating a safe environment and being prepared for emergency situations.”

According to Ambulance Victoria, more bystanders than ever are using publicly accessible AEDs to help Victorians in cardiac arrest.

The Victorian Ambulance Cardiac Arrest Registry Annual Report, released earlier this year, revealed paramedics responded to a record 7,830 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests in 2022-23, up 6.4 per cent from the previous year.

Of those cases, 139 had a shock delivered from a public AED, the highest number on record and up from 107 cases last year.

Every day, about 20 Victorians suffer a cardiac arrest but only one in 10 survive.

Minutes matter in responding to a cardiac arrest, and when a patient receives CPR and a shock from an AED before paramedics arrive, their chance of survival more than doubles.

“AEDs are critical in providing immediate assistance in the event of sudden cardiac arrest, and having them readily available is a crucial part of our emergency preparedness strategy,” Ms McKoy said.

To register your AED or find a publicly available AED, head to registermyaed.ambulance.vic.gov.au