ST JOHN NT
NEWSROOM

St John Ambulance Australia (NT) Inc. (St John NT) has launched a life-saving app that locates nearby defibrillators at the push of a button.

St John NT has been working with St John WA to launch the free St John First Responder mobile app in the Northern Territory. The now-available First Responder app uses GPS-assisted information to help in an emergency situation. The app can be used to call Triple Zero (000), provide the precise location of the call to the 000 operator, locate the nearest hospital, access crucial first aid information, and display the location of all nearby defibrillators.

Quickly locating and using a defibrillator, also referred to as an AED (Automatic External Defibrillator), is the most effective way to save the life of a cardiac arrest patient. St John NT Chief Executive Officer, Judith Barker, said that of the approximate 30,000 Australians who suffer a cardiac arrest out of hospital every year, tragically only 1 in 10 survive.

“How someone acts in an emergency can be the difference between life and death,” she said.

“Early defibrillation, along with CPR, is often the only way to restore the person’s heart rhythm to normal after cardiac arrest.”

“For every minute that passes without CPR and defibrillation, the chances of survival decrease by 10%.”

Mr Peter Brady, who suffered a cardiac arrest in the Waterfront precinct in November of last year, credits his life to the early defibrillation provided by several off-duty nurses and the Waterfront lifeguards. Had the off-duty nurses been unable to locate an AED, Mr Brady would have faced a different fate.

“Without the AED, CPR alone would not have revived me even when performed by professionals,” he said.

“Timely access to, and use of, an AED is the only First Aid likely to save victims of sudden cardiac arrest.”

“AEDs unquestionably save lives,” Mr Brady said.

The St John First Responder app allows all Territorians to quickly locate an AED in an emergency, greatly improving the chances of survival for cardiac arrest patients like Mr Brady.

The app is available now and can be downloaded for free from Apple’s App Store or Google Play.