Growing and supporting the number of AEDS in Kāpiti

Kāpiti Coast District Council is pleased to be working with Wellington Free Ambulance to grow the number and quality of publicly available AEDs in the district.

AEDs - Automated External Defibrillators – help members of the public provide defibrillation until paramedics arrive, potentially saving a life.

Property and Facilities Maintenance Manager Kelvin Irvine says Council has several AEDs across its facilities and is encouraging the public to get in touch with Wellington Free Ambulance if they would like to add one to the community.

“The more we have in the district the better,” Mr Irvine says.

“As well as installing AEDs in some of our facilities we work with Wellington Free and those wanting to set one up to make sure they’re going in the right places and have the right permissions.

Manager of Wellington Free’s Heartbeat AED programme Rachel Evans with the recently relocated AED on Rimu Rd, Paraparaumu

“We work with Wellington Free because as well as being our local ambulance service they provide excellent quality AEDs.

“And through the generous support of The Lloyd Morrison Foundation they are able to maintain them – which means once they’re in place we don’t have to worry about making sure they keep working.”

Mr Irvine says there are 59 publicly available Wellington Free devices in Kāpiti.

“We’d like to see this number grow and for the ones we do have to be in the best locations possible.

“We recently moved the one at our Paraparaumu Civic Building to make it more visible, and it’s now prominently street front on Rimu Road, clearly visible to the many who pass each day to remember in case of future emergency.”

Another was also recently moved by Paraparaumu College to Mazengarb Road to make it more visible.

Manager of Wellington Free’s Heartbeat AED programme Rachel Evans says positioning and device choice is important.

“In an emergency where there is stress people use the ones they have seen, so we like them to be highly visible,” Ms Evans says.

“Our AEDs are all included in a database used by 111 responders so if you call in an emergency, they will be able to direct you to the nearest one and provide a combination to unlock it.

“They’re also top quality and are designed to be used by anyone. They won’t shock unless a heart needs it, can analyse what is happening during CPR and quickly download vital patient data to help with subsequent treatment.”

Ms Evans says anyone, from sports clubs to groups of neighbours, can buy an AED through Wellington Free.

“If you’re interested in getting an AED from us, please think about making them public – rather than inside a building – so that anyone can use them. We need the public’s help to get our public AED’s out there, but once they’re there we’ll look after them.

“Knowing CPR is also vital and Wellington Free provides free training through our Heartbeat program teaching schools, businesses and community groups so anyone can learn.

Visit www.wfa.org.nz/what-we-do/buy-an-aed to learn more and enquire about AEDs.

• Wellington Free covers an area from Cook Strait in the south to just north of Waikanae around Peka Peka on the Kāpiti Coast.