Thousands of people experience sudden cardiac arrest every year. It is a life-threatening emergency that often occurs outside of hospitals, and survival rates are critically low.
However, with CPR and the timely use of an AED, the chance of surviving rises to 70%. In the vast Northern Territory, where medical assistance can take longer to arrive, public access to AEDs and community first aid skills are crucial.
The St John NT Heart Grant program, funded by the Northern Territory Government Community Benefit Fund, aims to equip local communities with the tools and training needed to respond to sudden cardiac arrests.
There are currently 477 public access AEDs registered with the St John First Responder app in the NT. This new initiative will improve emergency preparedness and save the lives of our community members by increasing the current number of AEDs across the Territory by more than 10%.