Media Release 29/02/18
The statistics are startling if not confronting, in Australia approximately 30,000 people sustain cardiac arrests outside hospitals and are treated by emergency medical services. Currently, on average, only nine per cent of victims survive. Research and practice shows survival can be dramatically increased with the distribution of automated external defibrillators (AEDs).
“When you understand the statistics on how many people have cardiac arrests, approximately 600 people every week, adults and children, you are literally wasting lives through cardiac arrest,” Guy Leech says. “If there was a defibrillator close by, there is a 70 per cent chance of survival.
“At the moment there is a nine per cent chance of living if you’re waiting for an ambulance. For example, the average call out time for an ambulance is 13 minutes in Sydney, every minute wasted lowers the chance of survival by 10 per cent.”
It is not just the elderly or unfit that are vulnerable to cardiac arrest, 12 young people die each week of sudden cardiac arrest. In fact, it was an incident just like this that prompted Guy Leech to partner with Physio Control, the pioneers of defibrillation technology, and become a major distributor of their life-saving machines. Physio Control devices are used by the NSW ambulance service and their devices save someone’s life every 15 minutes around the world.
“A few years ago I was doing my fitness training on the beach and a good friend of mine had a heart attack. I had to do CPR on him until the ambulance arrived. Sadly he passed away,” Guy Leech explains. “Had we had a defibrillator on hand it could have made a difference. I didn’t want the situation to go by without something positive coming from it. I now carry a defibrillator in my car.”
It was Lower North Shore agent Jon Snead’s connection to Guy Leech that led to The Agency’s heart health initiative.
“I’ve known Guy for many years through paddling, we’ve trained together over the past eight years. It was two years ago when we lost a member of our training group Charles ‘Chucky’ Stuart to cardiac arrest, he was a life-long friend of Guy’s,” Jon Snead explains. “It was this shocking event that hit home to us all and Guy launched into a campaign to get defibrillators into every available place that he could.”
Jon Snead got together with The Agency’s CEO Matt Lahood and the team agreed The Agency would roll out AEDs nationally, starting with Sydney, and train staff on the life-saving equipment. The machines feature highly advanced technology and are straight-forward to use. The user receives clear verbal instructions throughout the process and the AED will only shock the patient if the vital signs indicate a cardiac arrest.
“The Agency is committed to providing staff, clients and our local communities with a safe and supportive environment,” Matt Lahood explains. “An example of this is our flagship office in Bondi Beach, we purposefully designed a 10-metre concrete hot desk where agents from across the business, clients and locals are all welcome to plug in, enjoy a coffee and the view. With our ‘open door’ policy we are mindful of the responsibility that comes with that.”
The widespread availability of AEDs has been proven to increase cardiac arrest survival rates. While in Australia the average survival rate is nine per cent, in Seattle, United States, the survival rate from cardiac arrest is 62 per cent thanks to their city wide Physio Control community program.
“As a community-focussed business and with our rapid growth nationally, we have the opportunity to lead the way in getting these life-saving devices into the community, as well as raising awareness of heart health,” Jon Snead says. “To be in a position to help anyone that has a heart attack. It can happen anywhere, anytime.”