Auckland community's heart beats to save lives

Mangere Bridge residents volunteered to learn how to operate lifesaving equipment ahead of a new installation of a special defibrillator machine at a local supermarket.

The automated external defibrillator (AED)  in the Corornation Rd Fresh Choice was funded through several community organisations and a grant from Auckland Council.

The machine gives spoken instructions to guide you through its use and also scans the patient’s heart before delivering a shock, ensuring that one is given only when necessary.

“It was a very good community effort, and the result is that we have this machine available 15 hours a day, seven days a week, which is a very practical contribution,” said David, a spokesperson for the Mangere Bridge Residents and Ratepayers association.

These devices and community understanding of when and how to operate them is an essential part of saving lives, said 3 Steps for Life national lead Mia Noyes.

An AED given within one minute of a cardiac arrest improves the chances of survival by 90 per cent, but only four per cent of cardiac receive this first responders arrive, she said.

“We’re getting out to our communities and showing people how to do CPR and how to use an AED to improve those statistics and help save lives.”

They can be used on anybody suffering a cardiac emergency, including children and adults with pacemakers.

Publicly accessible AEDs near you can be found via the AED app, available for download on both Apple and Android devices.

LISTEN here: Mia Noyes explains CPR at the residents' session.