Clubs SA | St John Defib Initiative

Clubs SA Contributes to Providing Life Saving Defibrillators into Country Regions

Clubs SA’s Industry Partner, St Johns, has worked feverishly throughout 2018 installing the units into much needed regional areas, with Clubs SA Members receiving the life saving devices as part of the staged roll out announced earlier this year.

The Port Pirie Golf Club was one of the latest clubs in regional South Australia to receive a defibrillator. 

St Johns Ambulance Port Pirie provided a demonstration for the members of the golf club and Lynette Pole, who is the divisional superintendent says that it is good to see people giving it a go because using a defibrillator is life changing.

"Every minute counts and although we have ambulances, they can't be here in those first few vital minutes. For every minute you delay, the chances of survival decreases by 10 per cent"

Pushing the drive for the roll-out was John Kernahan the deputy president of Clubs SA who explains that their involvement with the defibrillators was something they were incredibly proud of.

"It is one of those subjects that we all wish we were involved with after the fact. We are really pleased that we could get on board early and be proactive rather than reactive and far better to tell a story that could save a life.

"I think the most salient observation is that it adds another level of service from clubs to its members and we are more than happy participating in that," Mr Kernahan said.

This is what this initiative means to the recipients:

Port Pirie Golf Club president Grant Norton says it was a really good idea that he wanted to encourage as many members as possible to attend.

"In the previous years we have had people die of heart attacks on the golf course. It shocks the people, no one is happy when those sorts of things and this way we can save members if something does happen on the course or in the area."

"Yacka Bowling Club is a very small organisation which is struggling to survive in this difficult climate. One thing we have always maintained is our membership to Clubs SA which keeps us up to date with our legal obligations and more recently has granted us a defibrillator in conjunction with St Johns SA . This is a huge boost to us as we would never have been able to afford to purchase one ourselves. Yacka is a tiny community with less than 200 people and this equipment delivers a safety net for our members, our whole community and the travelling public. We are proud to be able to host this equipment for the public to access."

Chris Bolvig
Secretary Treasurer
Yacka Bowling Club

Background

The Heartbeat of the Community

In a first ever collaboration with the AHA/SA and St Johns, Clubs SA has committed to providing more than 350 defibrillators throughout regional South Australian Communities.

Stage two has seen defibrillators installed at Clubs SA Member Clubs located in the Mid North, Upper North and Far North areas, with the last stage of defibrillators scheduled for installation in 2019.

Regional Clubs are often the “backbone” of their town and provide the perfect location for these life saving devices as the Clubs provide a safe and welcoming place for the grass roots community to gather to share their common interests.

The defibrillators have been attached the external walls of these Clubs and other venues allowing quick and easy access by the entire Community.

For every minute defibrillation is delayed, that chance of survival decreases by 10 per cent with a delay of 10 minutes more often than not resulting in death.

The devices are designed to be used by people with little or no training and give clear instructions to the user.

Clubs SA is proud to be part of this literally lifesaving initiative which again demonstrates the willingness of Clubs to help to care for not only their members but the Community in general.